LOWE SHOWS FLEXIBILITY WITH GAY MARKET
By Adnews Staff
Labatt Breweries of Canada is targeting Toronto's lesbian and gay market with a print campaign for Labatt Ice which began last week. Lowe/SMS of Toronto adapted the ads from the print part of a mainstream campaign by Ammirati & Puris/Lintas that shows people from around the world telling Canadians to drink the brew. Lowe/SMS changed the ads to reflect the gay market by showing lesbians and gays in bars, and the street signs at an intersection of a popular gay neighborhood in Toronto. Labatt is also planning to sponsor lesbian and gay events, and will start hosting activities in bars in the spring. Lowe researched the gay market for a year before launching the campaign. It interviewed gay patrons and workers in bars and restaurants, as well as editors and writers working for gay publications, to gain a thorough understanding of this segment of the population. The investigation was designed to demonstrate to clients that Lowe has the tools and mindset to understand any market, group account director and senior vice-president Randy Vanderstarren says in a release.