A chain of hardware stores in the UK is getting attention for its advertisement featuring staff and customers announcing their sexual orientation.
The Robert Dyas chain’s ad is titled, “We’re Robert Dyas and we’re gay and straight. And bi … .” Customers and staff say what’s so great about the hardware chain but not until saying what their sexuality is.
A staff member starts out the video by saying his name and that he’s gay. After saying his hobbies, he adds, “I also like showing our gay and straight customers our funky range of Christmas gifts.
The ad ends with everyone saying, “Robert Dyas: Where gays and straights can buy drills and much, much more.”
The ad’s gotten a mixed bag of attention on Twitter with some jolly over it and others not. One user’s tweet proclaimed it “hands-down the best advertising campaign ever. Never heard of them before today. Will never forget them now. Bravo.”
Another tweet stated, “Can’t believe this is real. Horrible marketing decision.”
While it hasn’t been reported whether the ad’s making a difference in sales, it has generated attention.The YouTube video of the ad had reached more than 635,830 views within five days. It had generated 2,205 thumbs up and 1,912 thumbs down.
Turns out the inspiration for the video may be a 2009 ad for North Carolina furniture store Red House that focused on race. That ad reached more than 5 million views, so Robert Dyas may be onto something in its offbeat holiday cheer.
