Yair Kedar, editor of "Hazman Havarod", reports the failure of overtures to some 700 firms advertising in Israel, inviting them to advertise directly to homosexuals. Other than companies specifically addressing that community, such as condom marketers, gay clubs, dating agencies and, marginally, cinemas, nobody risks advertising in media catering expressly to homosexuals.
Kedar notes that three of the companies approached by the magazine, namely Benetton, Vodka Absolut and Diesel Jeans, do advertise to the homosexual community in other countries. They promised to do so in Israel too, but did not deliver. Kedar maintains that advertisers, especially in the tourist sectors, are missing out on a great opportunity.
Advertising Association Chairman Razi Peled, also in charge of advertising for the Natour travel company, comments: "Advertising to a target public of homosexuals will gain the company a label, and it will come to be identified with homosexuals."
"Israeli society is still very conservative on this matter and will be unable to accept it. Natour addresses the consensus and seeks to encompass as large a public as possible. There is a risky aspect to addressing the homosexual community, since the general public is liable to vote with its feet. Israeli macho attitudes preclude our thinking in terms of addressing a public of that sort".
Eliyahu Zarmon, advertising agent of Rimon Excursions, commented "Rimon’s strategy is not to address segmented target communities".