GM's Beefy Camaro Ad Targets Gay Men (VIDEO)

UPDATE: This promotion has been removed from YouTube...

In a new ad, GM's putting the muscle back in muscle car. (Apologies for the strained metaphor...)

USA Today has news of GM's racy new promo spot for its Camaro, which was posted on YouTube to support Chevrolet Gay Days At The Movies in Los Angeles. The video features "go go boys" in tight bathing suits washing a Camaro. Subtle it is not.

USA Today spoke to a GM spokesperson about the promotion: "Dave Barthmuss, a General Motors spokesman, said the promotion might surprise some 'because you don't see it in the mainstream.'"

GM told USA Today it wasn't specifically targeting gay men with Camaro promotions. The men pictured in the video are "bumblebee boys," a tie-in with the yellow Bumblebee Camaro featured in Transformers 2.

No word on whether or not taxpayer funds were used to buy those skin-tight Speedos...

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Comments

[thelipstickfemme]

04:46 PM on 07/12/2009

Wow, I just saw the commercial and I feel it was poor executed to be honest.

For me it is less about the niche "Beef Cake" male market, but more about their bad editing, creative production, terrible scripting, and poorly thought out concept. They were appealing to the stereotypical idea of what it is to be Gay "LGBT". Totally flaming the fans of those who have limited exposure to a wide spectrum on a targeted group.

There needed to do more homework on this one.

[mykolas]

10:25 AM on 07/10/2009

Lucky you, you can still view (and copy for your friends) the gay GM ad at:

http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/the-b-cast-gm-yanks-tasteless-youtube-camaro-video-targetting-gay-buyers/20521199

The brief (no pun intended) ad appears about 2 minuites into the newscast. Enjoy!

[KansasWrangler]

09:40 AM on 07/09/2009

So, GM has removed the video because of its homophobic chairman. Another reason not to buy GM products.

[mykolas]

10:32 AM on 07/10/2009

See the GM video that the company doesn't want you to see at:

http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/the-b-cast-gm-yanks-tasteless-youtube-camaro-video-targetting-gay-buyers/20521199

[Josh Popichak]

10:44 PM on 07/08/2009

I just tried to find the video on YouTube and got the annoying "this video has been removed by the user" message. But the "user" is identified as Calvin Fleming, co-founder of "Good PR" of L.A. Is this really "good PR," Calvin? You post a video for a company (GM) that you say you handle LGBT-themed PR for, and then remove it? Maybe this is some sort of bizarre, reverse-marketing strategy. Whatever the rationale is, I bet it's lame.

[KataVideo]

10:43 PM on 07/08/2009

I was a teen in the '70s and the camaro was ALWAYS a 'gay' car. Now that most of us are a wee bit more enlightened, it's nice that gm is finally admitting it .

[macintoshsauce]

11:04 PM on 07/08/2009

LOL

[Josh Popichak]

10:38 PM on 07/08/2009

What a tease. I thought I was going to get to watch this. An American car manufacturer disappointed me again (for like, the millionth time).

[macintoshsauce]

09:22 PM on 07/08/2009

How nice. Remind me to never buy a GM product once I am ready to buy a vehicle in two years.

[JamesLM207]

09:26 PM on 07/08/2009

Oh poor wittle homophobe.

[macintoshsauce]

10:27 PM on 07/08/2009

Are you a baby or a man?

[aussiebrasil]

10:03 PM on 07/08/2009

Are you serious? Why? Why would you need reminding if you feel so strongly about it?

[macintoshsauce]

10:27 PM on 07/08/2009

Remind me in two years that North American cars still suck.

[Eriq]

10:37 PM on 07/08/2009

Yeah, that's a great question... Hmm, sounds like a case of latent... latent...
oh, YOU know!

[Ander Chi]

09:14 PM on 07/08/2009

If commercials annoyed you, wait until these hit your airwaves. Good thing I don't watch TV.

[MacManLB]

09:03 PM on 07/08/2009

GM is trippin'

[DMSmith]

08:50 PM on 07/08/2009

I wonder what the public reason is for removing this from YouTube. Do they show other ads? Or is it just this one that they are dropping.

[Tom95134]

09:38 PM on 07/08/2009

GM jerked YouTube's chain. They threatened to buy them out and then run the place like a car plant.

[empress of green]

08:23 PM on 07/08/2009

why does it always have appeal to men's desires? Whether it be straight or gay, its usually for the men when its appealing to sexuality.

Do you ladies remember those "Bod" commercials that came on late at night where the men were ripped and sexy. It came on so late you'd think it was one of those nasty phone sex commericals ( for me of course).

[FrankieAnon]

09:01 PM on 07/08/2009

Hear, hear! More males stripped down for the female eye please. And how about mainstream movies with A-list actors filmed sensually as opposed to always having male nudity played for laughs (and it's always a fat, hairy guy at that.) To watch shows like the Sopranos or anything else on mainstream media, hot men never get in the all together, not even when showering or in bed. This is due to ratings codes that label female nudity soft core while male is obscene. Time for a change!

[Eriq]

10:38 PM on 07/08/2009

Yes, indeed!! That's not obscenity, that's beauty!

[Tom Fennell]

12:33 PM on 07/09/2009

I appreciate the desire, but this is ridiculous.

ONE commercial for gay men, and we can't even have that.

As if there were no commercials appealing to women's hetero desires - HA HA HA!

This is really just another impulse of hetero hegemony, this time from the female side, with plenty of whining, as befits the alloted female societal gender role.

[Joeyj1220]

08:08 PM on 07/08/2009

GM said it wasn't targeting gay men, then went on to call the models "bumblebee boys" LMAO!! yyyeah, right!

[jakesinger]

07:51 PM on 07/08/2009

Does anyone have a copy of this video?
I'd love to see it! Maybe we can pass it around somehow?

Bummer that Chevy got shy.
We still have some work to do with the homophobes out there.

[PerpetualMotion]

09:33 PM on 07/08/2009

I agree. I'd like to at least see the video, and in this age of inter-connectivity, I'm surprised that I've had so much trouble trying to find it. Anyone with a copy please let us know!

[mykolas]

10:32 AM on 07/10/2009

See the video that GM doesn't want you to see at:

http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/the-b-cast-gm-yanks-tasteless-youtube-camaro-video-targetting-gay-buyers/20521199

Ad appears 2 minutes into piece.

[patrickgarret]

07:51 PM on 07/08/2009

Gay men don't drive CHEVY's! OMG! LOL

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

09:13 PM on 07/08/2009

They'll (we'll) drive THIS Chevy...several friends of mine already have Camaros on order.

[MaxInAZ]

11:11 PM on 07/08/2009

Yeah, I've got a couple of gay friends that want the Camaro - ever since the Transformers movie (the first one).

It is a sexy, sexy car. I would drive it, but I drive a Mustang, and I just got it. So I'll wait.

But we would drive Chevrolet. And will.

[SUIGENEROUSLA]

07:44 PM on 07/08/2009

The Japanese companies and Ford are way ahead of GM on this.