The U.S. federal government still defines the act of marriage as one taking place between a man and a woman even though a number of states have made gay marriage legal and President Obama made it clear in his Inauguration speech (and other speeches since) that gay marriage is something he firmly believes in. “Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law—for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well,” Obama said after being sworn in on Jan. 21 by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

Roberts will have a lot to do with possibly making a change to the way the federal government defines marriage when his Court hears two gay-marriage-related cases on March 26 and 27. Nearly 300 companies came out Wednesday to “urge the U.S. Supreme Court … to strike down a federal law that restricts the definition of marriage to heterosexual unions,” Reuters reports.

Considering the size and number of brands taking part, it will be hard for conservatives who have long opposed gay marriage to try and boycott everyone involved.Continue reading...

Brands are invited to the Winter Party Festival in Miami Beach, an annual six-day, 20-event festival fundraiser. Running Feb. 29 to Mar. 5 at venues throughout Miami Beach and Miami, more than 10,000 visitors from around the world are expected.

Produced by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Winter Party already counts major brands as WPF 2012 sponsors. 

Showtime, a longtime supporter of LGBT causes and programming such as Queer as Folk and The L Word, will be promoting Nurse Jackie and The Borgias. Office Depot is underwriting t-shirts and donating office supplies. Coca-Cola's brands and Grey Goose/42 Below vodkas are the official non-alcoholic and spirits sponsors, respectively, while Surfcomber is the festival's host hotel.Continue reading...

This February marks the 36th annual Black History Month in America, and the marketing geniuses at Nike are showing that the brand's got the spirit by releasing three different BHM-themed shoes that are tied to three of their biggest basketball endorsers: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant.

Nike Blog reports that the release date and prices for the James and Durant shoes haven’t been named yet, but for only $140, fans of Black History Month can show it off all year long with a pair of Kobe shoes.

Of course there are plenty of other ways that marketers think you could be showing your BHM pride, too. 

And don’t think Heineken US doesn’t have the BHM spirit! The brand is sponsoring its second annual Black History Month art competition, which will garner the winner five grand and the opportunity to “have their artwork showcased in an upcoming marketing campaign” for the brewer, according to TrendHunter.com. We’re talking placement in national print, digital, in-store point of sale, and out of home advertising in 2013. And all you have to do to submit art is “like” the Heineken US Facebook page.

The judging of the submissions, of course, will be on originality and creativity as well its “representation of black history,” naturally, and, of course!, “the spirit of the Heineken brand,” TrendHunter reports.

U.S. cable TV networks (beyond BET) have long jumped on Black History Month for programming. This year, naturally, social and digital marketing is coming into play, too.Continue reading...