Marketing association honors MassEquality ad campaign

MassEquality has long been praised for its political muscle, but last month the New England Direct Marketing Association (NEDMA) honored the organization for its media savvy. NEDMA gave MassEquality's "It's Wrong to Vote on Rights" television campaign first prize in its broadcast media category at the organization's annual awards show, held June 11 at the Roxy in Boston.

The campaign consisted of three ads showing the impact that banning same-sex marriage would have on the families of same-sex couples. The parents and children of same-sex couples told their stories of support for those couples and their right to marry. The campaign, along with a mini-documentary called "Better Angels," also took home second place for the integrated media campaign category.

Amy Hunt, creative director for the campaign, said she believes the campaign was effective because it reframed the marriage debate and undercut the arguments of opponents. She said anti-gay activists tried to portray same-sex couples as outsiders threatening the American family, but the MassEquality ads showed that those couples were cherished members of that family.

"I think we surprised people because we placed ourselves squarely in the heart of the American family and people stood up for us," said Hunt.

She said in designing the ads she allowed the families to speak for themselves and avoided using conventions of political ads like superimposed type.

"Viewers are very good telling apart the artificial and the honest. ... I think this campaign understood that and said, we're going to talk to people, we're going to step out of the way, we're going to show what's real and honest, and we're going to trust that what's real and honest is also compelling," said Hunt.