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Fly GayAmerican Airlines - the world's largest airline - has decided to target the gay travellers market with this retro-looking print campaign from TM Advertising with the slogan Fly Forward.

"Fly Forward" eh? Are they alluding to something about being able to pick up other gay passengers when you fly American? 'Cause the slogan they had a few years back was "We Know Why You Fly" (nudge nudge, wink wink). But check this ad. Would any self-respecting gay man wear socks with his loafers? And white socks at that. Hawaiian shirts maybe - although they're a bit passé too. And hang on...is that a coloured man in the red shirt? Or has he just ODed on the sun-bed?

"The Friendly Way"This ad reminds me a lot of an old T.A.A. magazine ad from my native Australia. And now that I think about it...I think they were trying to tell us something too with slogans like

"T.A.A. - The Friendly Way" and "Up Up and Away".

American Airlines are also running a lesbian-themed ad in the gay press with a besuited black girl and her petite amie. With the kinda hokey copy "Acceptance never goes out of style". What are they trying to say? That we should be accepting of black lesbians and their w.a.s.p.y girlfriends?

Uh Oh...looks like this sheila's into white socks and loafers as well (I couldn't get a bigger photo than this).

The campaign was illustrated by Bill Garland who appears to specialise in this style. Here's more of his work.

Perhaps he was inspired by Fifties airline ads like this one for TWA.

"Daddy will be back"

American Airlines goes gay