October 27, 2009, New York, NY – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, announced award recipients at the 1st GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising ceremony presented by Ogilvy and Southwest Airlines. Award recipients and nominees can be seen at www.glaad.org/advertisingawards/recipients.

The GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising recognize and honor individuals and projects in the advertising and marketing industries for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.

Actor Alan Cumming, who received the Vito Russo Award at the 16th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, hosted the event and was joined by special guests including Bryan Batt (Mad Men) and Jay Manuel (America's Next Top Model).

At the event, Lisa Sherman (General Manager, LOGO) presented Subaru with the Corporate Responsibility Award for its long-standing and public commitment to the LGBT consumer. Actress Judith Light along with LGBT advocate and author David Mixner presented Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams with the Public Visibility Award for their personal dedication to advocating for LGBT equality, as well as the inclusion of LGBT stories in advertisements for their furniture company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.

The advertisement "Golfers" by Orbitz.com received a GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Television – Mainstream Market category. The advertisement ran on national television channels and included a golfer wearing an LGBT equality symbol. Allstate's "Insurance Comes Out" campaign received the GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Print/Outdoor – Mainstream Market category. The outdoor advertisement ran on bus shelters and in health clubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco to pay homage to the company’s LGBT consumers.

"Advertisers that promote fair, accurate and inclusive images of the gay and transgender community send an important message to their customers, to fellow corporations – and to anyone who sees their ads – that LGBT people should be accepted and valued for our contributions to society," said Jarrett Barrios, GLAAD President. "GLAAD congratulates the award recipients and will continue to advocate for increased inclusion of LGBT images in mainstream advertising to show gay and transgender people are part of America and respected as customers and employees in these companies."

Award recipients in categories with advertisements that appeared in LGBT media outlets included the ad "Bertolli Oven Baked Meals" by Bertolli, which received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Television – LGBT Market and Progressive Insurance's "GLBT Print Campaign" for Outstanding Print/Outdoor – LGBT Market.

Toyota Scion's "Create-Your-Own-Comic" campaign on LogoOnline.com received the GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Interactive category.

Award recipients for categories previously announced at the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in January 2009 were also recognized. Levi's "Logo Unbuttoned" campaign and Kenneth Cole's "We All Walk In Different Shoes – Nina Poon" ad featuring transgender model Nina Poon tied for the award for Outstanding Advertising – Electronic. "Will You Marry Me" by ABSOLUT® VODKA received the award for Outstanding Advertising – Print. Beginning next year, all future advertising nominees will be announced in conjunction with the GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising event.

All nominees for the GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising ran or appeared in print, broadcast, or online media between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009. Nominees and award recipients were selected by a Nominating Jury made up of volunteers with expertise in the world of advertising and marketing.

Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Award recipients announced Tuesday in New York.

Corporate Responsibility Award: Subaru

Public Visibility Award: Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams

TV - Mainstream Market : "Golfers" Orbitz

TV - LGBT Market: "Bertolli Oven Baked Meals" Bertolli

Print/Outdoor - Mainstream Market: "Insurance Comes Out" Allstate

Print/Outdoor - LGBT Market: "GLBT Print Campaign" Progressive Insurance

Interactive: "Scion's Create-Your-Own-Comic" Toyota Scion

Outstanding Advertising - Electronic: TIE: "Logo Unbuttoned" Levi's & "We All Walk In Different Shoes - Nina Poon" Kenneth Cole

Outstanding Advertising - Print: "Will You Marry Me?" ABSOLUT® VODKA

Leveraging GLAAD's media advocacy and anti-LGBT defamation resources, GLAAD's Advertising Media Program monitors all forms of advertising and works to ensure fair and accurate representations of the LGBT community or demand action when defamation occurs. The Advertising Media Program proactively advances inclusion of the LGBT community in mainstream advertising through advocacy work at advertising agencies and corporate advertising departments. GLAAD maintains an online library of over 4,000 LGBT-inclusive ads at www.glaad.org/advertising.

The GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising were presented by Ogilvy and Southwest Airlines. GLAAD is also grateful to the event's Gold Level Partners: ABSOLUT® VODKA, DIGITAS, Prudential and Omnicom Group; General Partners: Barefoot Wine, MillerCoors, Mitchell & Titus, Luzern, PrimeAccess, Rogaine®, Swiss International Air Lines, The Advocate/OUT/gay.com and the Swiss National Tourist Office; Community Partners: Double Platinum, Interpublic Group, Logo, McCann Erickson, Rivendell Media and Wells Fargo; and Media Partners: Edge New York, Gay City News, GO Magazine, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, TheMenEvent.com, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) of New York, Next, Passport, Pink Banana Media, and the Village Voice. For a full list of corporate sponsors, please visit http://www.glaad.org/advertisingawards/partners.