Advertising Week 2011: GLAAD Amplifier Awards Honor Best In LGBT Ad Campaigns

PHOTOS: Best LGBT Advertising Honored In New York

Advertising Week has already been called "New York Fashion Week for smart people," and perhaps nowhere was that description more appropriate than at the third annual Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Amplifier Awards, held Tuesday night at the Altman Building in Chelsea.

The colorful crowd -- comprised of Broadway performers, television personalities, drag queens and, oh yes, countless representatives from the advertising industry -- wouldn't have felt out of place at a runway show. That's not to mention the bevy of barechested model "Vikings" (courtesy of nominees ROKK Vodka) who strolled the crowd clad in sarongs, horned helmets and little else.

Still, GLAAD officials were quick to turn the attention away from the glitterati and directly back to the event's overall mission: honoring advertisements which "amplify lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people" and the issues the community faces. "The advertising industry is premised on the power of persuasion, making it perhaps the most powerful form of media to shape public opinion," GLAAD Acting President Mike Thompson told the crowd. "I'm going to challenge all of the advertising professionals here tonight to use this persuasive power in the most socially responsible manner, by incorporating positive and inclusive images of the American people in their campaigns."

Among those taking home awards were Kaiser Permanente (for their "Stick Around. Things Get Interesting" campaign) and American Airlines for their outdoor "Beach Towel" campaign featuring same-sex couples on vacation.

For a complete list of winners, click here.

View photos from the GLAAD Amplifier festivities here:

Wilson Cruz

2011 GLAAD Amplifier Awards

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