Gay hookup site Squirt.com recently purchased ad space at several bus stops near prominent gay clubs in Miami, but faced an instantaneous backlash, and even one case of vandalism. According to XBIZ (link below), the site abided by the regulations laid out by the city for all advertisements, but that still wasn't good enough for some.
According to local reports, the ads were placed near popular gay clubs and establishments in Miami, including Eros Lounge, Magnum Lounge, The Dugout, Club Azucar and Club Aqua Miami.
But local resident Marta Viciedo complained to the City about the ad’s "over sexualized" content telling Local 10 News that she didn't want to have to explain the sexual references to her seven year-old kids, and thought it was inappropriate in a public space.
I'm sick to death of it at this point in time, but this "think of the children" hysteria is almost becoming entirely too predictable. It's not even fun anymore to see how these lunatics will work it in.
As for that case of vandalism, one of their posters was stolen after vandals smashed the bus stop with a rock. To add insult to injury, the company is now facing a major case of what's known in the industry as cock blocking by the city.
“We always work very closely with our ad reps and locations when it comes to creative approval,” said Attila Szatmari, digital business director at PTP. “Our creative was approved, and we just want to have the same treatment as any straight sexy ad would have. Lots of straight-themed ads are as sexy as ours: look at Step up revolution, Tom Ford, Michael Kors, Guess, Viktor & Rolf and Calvin Klein ads. If these ads can be on streets across America, we don’t understand why two men embracing cannot.”
Squirt said that when asked when the updated creative would go live, its ad distributor replied that the case had become “too political” for the City of Miami to touch.
The City has also removed all of the remaining Squirt ads throughout Miami.
The company did create a petition against the city's ad policies at Change.org, which you can see and sign at their blog.
Via XBIZ