Super, super gay Mr. Sub ad put back in the closet

A television advert for Mr. Sub, whose deadpan portrayal of a father revaling his homosexuality to his wife and eight kids garnered its share of viral attention for advertising agency BOS, was swiftly yanked after complaints from the Canadian Auto Workers. The spot was described in their news release: “Over dinner he cheerfully announces that he’s gay. Upon questioning by a grimacing young girl who is presumably his daughter: ‘You mean like gay, gay?’ he responds patting her on the head affectionately: ‘Like super, super gay.’ Then comes the message of the commercial: ‘no-one likes surprises.’ Well, Mr. Sub soon learned that no-one likes homophobic advertising or commercials that poke fun at marginalized groups to sell a product either.” A sign that something was awry came in the form of a takedown notice issued by BOS to blogs like Toronto Mike: “We are in breach of contract with ACTRA (the union for these actors) and may have to hold your site liable for any fines incurred if the spot is not removed today.” (No such threat received here despite incorporating a similar YouTube embed into a post from Tuesday.) Days earlier, the BOS agency was doubtlessly proud of having their work featured on sites like TV Squad and Adland — along with two other commercials from the same series, featuring a groom walking in on a bride getting it on with his dad, and a husband decked out in bondage gear getting bonked by his wife with a frying pan. What was the message? That consistency rules at Mr. Sub: “It takes more than a loaf of bread to engage consumers and draw their attention in today’s media environment,” said BOS creative director Chad Borlase. And now, with the relationship between BOS and Mr. Sub immediately terminated due to CAW Local 707 paying attention, the agency could only scramble to prevent ACTRA from sticking them with 10 individual residual bills.

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