September 14, 2009, New York, NY – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) announced today the nominees and honorees for its 1st GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising Presented by Southwest Airlines. Among the nominees are: Cadillac's "Road to Success: Catherine Opie," Rogaine's "Making the Cut," Progressive Insurance's "GLBT Print Campaign," Wells Fargo's "When Two Accounts Become One," and Allstate's "Insurance Comes Out." Nominated ads can be found at www.glaad.org/advertisingawards/nominees and a complete list of nominees is included below.

As part of GLAAD's Advertising Media Program, excellence in advertising will now be recognized at a special event specifically focusing on advertising media. The GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising will recognize and honor individuals and projects in the advertising and marketing industries for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives.

GLAAD also announced that Subaru will receive the Corporate Responsibility Award for its long-standing and public commitment to the LGBT consumer. Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams will receive the Public Visibility Award for including LGBT stories in the advertising for their company Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and for their personal efforts to advocate for LGBT equality.

"As with other forms of media, advertising has the power to change hearts and minds," said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. "Companies that promote fair, accurate and inclusive images of the LGBT community in advertising send an important message to their customers, to corporations and to any consumer who sees their ads. We will be recognizing those companies that do just that, and in so doing, set a standard to which other companies may aspire."

Actor Alan Cumming, the Vito Russo Award honoree at the 16th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, will host the inaugural GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising in New York on October 27, 2009 at New World Stages, 340 W. 50th Street. To purchase tickets for the event, please visit www.glaad.org/advertisingawards.

GLAAD has created five new categories for the GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising. As part of the transition to this new event, awards will also be presented in the two advertising categories for which nominees were previously announced in January 2009 as part of the eligibility period of the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards which honor outstanding representations of LGBT people and issues in the media. Beginning next year, all future advertising nominees will be presented at the GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising event.

Nominees for the 1st GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising were printed, broadcast or appeared online 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.

The GLAAD Media Awards in Advertising is presented by Southwest Airlines. GLAAD is also grateful to the event's Gold Level Partners, Absolut Vodka and Prudential Insurance, and General Partner MillerCoors. For a full list of corporate sponsors and information on how to become a corporate sponsor, or to become a table host or purchase tickets, please visit www.glaad.org/advertisingawards.

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.

1st GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS IN ADVERTISING
NOMINEES

www.glaad.org/advertisingawards/nominees

Outstanding TV – Mainstream Market
"Golfers" Orbitz

Outstanding TV – LGBT Market
"Bertolli Oven Baked Meals" Bertolli
"Cadillac's Road to Success: Catherine Opie" Cadillac
"Real Momentum: Jenn Hofman" Subaru

Outstanding Print/Outdoor – Mainstream Market
"How are you Healthy" Lifelube
"Insurance Comes Out" Allstate
"Sage is…" Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders
"We'll Support You" Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Minnesota

Outstanding Print/Outdoor – LGBT Market
"Coors Light Equality is Refreshing" Coors Light
"Gay Travel" Southwest Airlines
"GLBT Print Campaign" Progressive Insurance
"LGBT Brand and Retail ads" Travelocity
"When Two Accounts Become One" Wells Fargo

Outstanding Interactive
"GPTMC 2009 Web Campaign" Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
"Making the Cut" Rogaine
"Scion's Create-Your-Own-Comic" Toyota Scion
"Something Extra" Hyatt Resorts

The following nominees were previously announced as part of the 20th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Award recipients in these categories will be presented at the October 27 event. In the future, all advertising media will be nominated in the newly created categories.

Outstanding Advertising – Electronic
"I Don't Judge" IKEA
"Logo Unbuttoned" Levi's
"Market" Chemistry.com
"We All Walk In Different Shoes – Nina Poon" Kenneth Cole
"Rugby Drinking Party" Jawbone

Outstanding Advertising – Print
"First Comes Love. Then Comes Marriage." Macy's
"Home for the Holidays" Swanson
"Rings" Paris Las Vegas
"We All Walk In Different Shoes – Nina Poon & Robert Jason" Kenneth Cole
"Will You Marry Me?" Absolut Vodka