New GM Chevrolet Volt Ad Targets Gay And Lesbian Consumers With Humour

We think this ad for General Motors' Chevrolet Volt is really clever and fun—and we have to admit, we love being the targeted demographic for a car company!

And why wouldn't we be?

According to a recent marketing survey, "Gay and lesbian consumers prefer fuel-efficient cars, account for 5% of new car purchases and have average household income in the six figures -- more than that of heterosexual households."

No wonder auto companies are now actively courting us! We put out.

According to Detroit Free Press, this particular ad for the Chevrolet Volt, described as "a pricey extended-range electric, the type of car studies show gay and lesbian consumers tend to like," wasn't expected to garner the national attention that it has.

It was published for $750 in the Motor City Pride edition of Between the Lines, a Michigan gay and lesbian newspaper.  Now the ad's been viewed a whopping 11 million times through social media.

Quite the good advertising investment.

GM spokesman Tom Henderson says that the Volt ad's success "told us that this was something worth undertaking when the opportunities present themselves," which could mean more gay-targeted marketing.

"If it's a manufacturer's desire to bring in wealthier, better-educated, younger customers, then the lesbian and gay market would be an avenue to that demographic," said Chris Travell, vice president of consulting for Maritz Research, which surveyed 200,000 consumers in 2011 and found that gay and lesbian households made 10% more money.

Detroit Free Press says, "There are studies that show gay and lesbian consumers have particular wants and auto companies could play to that, experts say.

On average, lesbian and gay car buyers are more likely to embrace fuel-efficient vehicles and high-tech features, experts said. Toyota, Ford, Honda and Chevrolet are the most popular brands among gay and lesbian consumers, according to San Francisco-based Community Marketing."

This doesn't mean they're looking for a "gay" car though. As Michigan couple, Nick Graham and Dustin Dreese revealed, "We didn't buy a gay car," Graham said. "At the end of the day, what amenities are you going to give a gay person that a straight person isn't going to enjoy?"

Still, we don't mind companies like GM showing us a little love. We're happy to show it right back!

What do you think of the ad (and this type of targeted marketing), Instincters?