Banned United Church of Christ ad honored by Commercial Closet Association

A United Church of Christ television ad that was banned by the three main television networks was named the Outstanding Commercial of 2004 Monday night at the Commercial Closet's first-ever Images in Advertising Awards. The ad featured two bouncers barring a gay male couple from entering a church and ended with a diverse group of UCC members, including a female couple. Other honorees included Kenneth Cole (Outstanding Achievement by Advertising Industry Professional), Wyndham Hotels and its ad agency Kirshenbaum Boyd + Partners (Outstanding Gay Market Creative Ad), and France's PinkTV network (Outstanding Mainstream Print Ad/Outdoor). Campbell-Ewald Advertising and General Motors received a "Clean Up Your Act Notice" for its ad campaign for the Chevrolet Colorado, which featured several men in a pickup truck growing uncomfortable when one male passenger loudly sings Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!"