The Other Super Bowl Ad Controversy

We all know about the Focus on the Family ad featuring Tim Tebow that has pro-abortion feminists in a lather, but there's another ad that's getting attention too - from what is supposedly a gay dating website. However, this one looks pretty fishy:

Lorie Byrd makes an excellent point regarding an ad for a gay male dating service currently under review for approval to run during the Super Bowl - assuming a spot opens up.

I could imagine CBS approving a different ad for the same company however -- one with less "making out." I have a feeling the company would not want to submit such an ad though. It is much better for them to submit one with little chance of getting approved so they get lots of publicity at little cost. The racier the ad, the more publicity it will generate, especially in the current atmosphere where the discussion has been over the Focus on the Family pro-life Tebow ad.

Based upon Google and the sites 2009 - 2010 coyright notice, it looks as if the site is a brand new creation. Ican't find one news mention of the site before this. Advertising Age isn't impressed and thinks it's a scheme. Sure enough, the alleged business just launched this month. Imagine that.

Also, why there certainly are gay football fans, is this the business's key demographic? There've been several popular TV shows with prominent gay male characters, would they be interested in advertising on them? All in all, it does look like as much ploy, as serious ad play.

I'll bet these people don't have the $3 million bucks it would take to buy a 30-second ad, so they've submitted something sure to generate a lot of free publicity for them without risk of it actually airing (and costing them the money).

Clever marketing ploy if nothing else.