OK, so I was just watching “Shortbus” on video the other day, John Cameron Mitchell’s sexually explicit but not pornographic art film about gay people that includes actual sex acts. It was shocking when it came out, and it still is, though not the kind of movie you hear much about anymore.
But what timing: The advertising equivalent of that movie is just out. And it’s gonna shock you. Maybe in a good way, but shock you.
The company is called Sir Vaughn. They make sunglasses. I have never heard of them, but then, I am not much of one to buy designer sunglasses anyway. But I know of them now and I suspect a lot more people will.
In the print ad, which you can see after the jump (NSFW), one man is performing oral sex on another man (and while the image is blurred out, it’s clearly what it is). The one performing fellatio is wearing a pair of Rockstar Warrior sunglasses.
According to the press release, “The idea being the campaign is to remind the viewer that they and their partner may look attractive to one another naked, and during sex, they’d look much better with Sir Vaughn sunglasses on.” The name of the campaign: Gay Sex Sells.
This is certainly not the first time a company has used sex — or even nudity — to sell a product. But even including a Tom Ford ad for YSL that appeared in Europe (also after the jump and NSFW), it is definitely the most explicit.
So I guess my question is, what gives? Do you like it?
P.S. — The company also says it will release a hetero version later this summer.
The Sir Vaughn ad:
Tom Ford’s Vogue ad:
No thanks. Fingerprints on my lens are bad enough.
Geez. Look at the spikes on the egdes of the shades! Forget fingerprints on the lenses. I would be more worried about having those spikes so close to my most sensitive areas
The Rare Reporter is blown away (no pun intended).
You would think that if they were gonna go so hardcore, they would use much hotter dudes with buffs bods.
I think it would be a bit difficult to have sex with those glasses simply because I don’t think I could stop laughing.
I really hope this leads to a brand new revival of the Joe Greed Westway Ford commercials.
Miss Coco Peru needs a pair of those. After all, we know “it buuuurns” when it gets in your eye.
I Like Them
Hot Ad
You’ve got to be pretty stupid to buy/wear “Sir Vaughn” glasses, if this is what it takes to sell the product. I mean, who out there hasn’t seen guy-on-guy fellatio these days. This isn’t daring. Just plain lame.
Aaaww coooool I like it that’s very creative add I want buy that sun glasses soon,where I can get those thanks hope next add more aaawww.
Sir Vaughn is just going for a shock factor and it just comes off as ridiculous and immature. At least the Tom Ford ad has an artistic type of photo (if nude) and perfume is something that I associate with the body and possibly sex. There is a connection there.
These gentelmen are hot, I am tired of one type being hot… I think they should drop the blurred our bodies are what they are and why should we teach or reinforce the idea they and sex are wrong. Get over it! Time to move to a new time period, open and honest about about it all like the movie “Shortbus” by John Cameron Mitchell. Time to stand up for what is natural and civil!