It's great to be gay!

NEW ONLINE MAGAZINE LAUNCHES WITH CONTROVERSIAL YOUTUBE SPOT

TORONTO, Feb. 14, 2013 /CNW/ - CREW Magazine today unveiled God Made a Gay Man (www.crewmagazine.com/article/so-god-made-a-gay-man or vimeo.com/crewdaily/godmadegayman), a controversial YouTube spot to mark the launch of its online publication. The spot reflects the contemporary gay experience in Canada and underscores the magazine's founding principle that it's great to be gay.

CREW Magazine (www.crewmagazine.com) covers an array of modern lifestyle topics. Curated with a gay point-of-view, the online publication aims to be "a gay magazine for everyone".

"Discovery and web curation are a big part of what we do," says publisher Peter Coish. "We are creating a daily destination for anyone interested in content that goes beyond the usual sex and politics of gay media to examine all elements of a sophisticated, modern lifestyle - gay or straight."

The YouTube spot is based on the recent Dodge Ram Superbowl spot, God Made a Farmer, which has become an Internet sensation. The CREW spot portrays the myriad of challenges that gay men face even today, as well as celebrates the contributions they make to every aspect of modern society.

"A great meme is a terrible thing to waste," says CREW art director Kyriakos Alexopoulos. "We're leveraging the popularity and format of the original spot to create a moving homage to gay life in modern society."

"Mainstream advertisers want to reach gays as they are an affluent, taste-making audience," says Coish. "But unfortunately they have few quality options. CREW Magazine has been launched to fill that void." Indeed, RBC Royal Bank has taken a lead sponsorship role in the site for 2013.  The bank will be doing traditional online advertising as well as engaging the audience through custom editorials that specifically speak to gay consumers.

God Made A Gay Man Production Credits

Agency - Cloud AdAgents

Strategy - Peter Coish

Copywriter - Terry Levine

Art director - Kyriakos Alexopoulos

Producer - Clare Cashman

Engineer - Ed Zych, Marmalade Music

Voice Direction - Phil Bucchino, Marmalade Music

Voice - Tim Keele

About CREW Magazine

CREW Magazine publishes 8 to 10 times each day and includes original content crafted exclusively for the magazine from industry experts. Content is presented in a highly visual and scannable style, with an emphasis on sharing in social media.

CREW is art-directed by fashion photographer Kyriakos Alexopoulos, one of three co-founders. Ad executive Peter Coish and Tim Gallant, who has a background in fashion public relations, round out the partnership.

Gays punch above their weight in terms of economic power. The group's total before-tax income amounts to roughly $98 billion in Canada, equating to approximately 7.2% of the GDP according to Protean Strategies.

CREW Magazine is part of Kuration Media Group (Kuration.com)

SOURCE: CREW Magazine