I don't know about you, but one of my favorite things to do is show — not just tell — what a Pink Media program actually looks like in the real world. So I'm excited to share this one: our recent content creator project with Archer, the gay dating app that's been making a real name for itself as a fresh, community-focused alternative in the LGBTQ+ dating space.
Working with our LGBTQ+ influencer and content creation program, we put together a group of LGBTQ+ content creators and hit the streets — literally — in West Hollywood and New York City to capture authentic queer voices talking about Archer. Below, listen in on an interview excerpt where Matthew Conrado and I chat through some of what we built together this year.
What We Built: "Man on the Street" Creator Videos
Our contribution to this project was assembling and managing a crew of LGBTQ+ content creators to produce "Man on the Street" video interviews — stopping gay men on the streets of West Hollywood and New York and getting their honest, on-camera reactions to some of Archer's most distinctive features. No scripts. No polished corporate messaging. Just real guys, real opinions, real community energy — exactly the kind of content that performs on social.
Here's what the content creators explored with Archer users on camera:
- Bear Magnet — one of Archer's fan-favorite trophy categories, earning points for connecting with bears in the community
- Big Dom Energy — a trophy for dominant personalities, generating some great on-camera reactions from passersby
- Certified Daddy — Archer's nod to the daddy/son dynamic that's a real part of gay culture — and a great conversation starter on the streets of WeHo
- The Maps Feature — Archer's built-in map that lets users find and connect with others in their immediate area, similar in concept to Sniffies but with Archer's own community twist
- Looking For — Archer's search feature that lets users filter by intent: a date, friendship, or "meeting up right now!" — giving the app a flexibility that resonated strongly with our interviewees
The David Archuleta Connection
The video above also touches on one of Archer's most visible celebrity moments: the David Archuleta "Chief Trophy Officer" commercial. David — who came out as part of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021 — was a natural fit for a campaign centered on Archer's unique trophy culture, and the resulting content generated real buzz within the queer community. Our Man on the Street interviews created an organic, grassroots complement to that more polished celebrity creative — giving Archer a full spectrum of authentic content to work with across different channels and audience segments.
Content as Advertising — This Is How It Works
This Archer project is one of the clearest examples I can point to of what we mean when we talk about Content as Advertising — our core influencer and UGC licensing program. Here's the essential idea: instead of commissioning a traditional ad creative from an agency, a brand works with Pink Media to recruit real LGBTQ+ voices, produce content that feels native to the community, and then license that content for use as paid media — across social, mobile, connected TV, and anywhere else the brand wants to run it.
Recruit & Brief
Pink Media identifies, vets, and briefs LGBTQ+ content creators matched to the brand's target audience and campaign goals.
Produce & Evaluate
Creators produce content — on location, in their own voice. Pink Media reviews, selects the strongest pieces, and manages approvals.
License & Run
The brand receives unlimited licensing rights in perpetuity — running the best creator content as paid media for as long as it performs.
What makes this model powerful is the licensing piece. Archer doesn't just get a moment of influence — they get a permanent, brand-owned content asset they can keep running, keep testing, and keep optimizing. Real LGBTQ+ voices, permanently in their marketing DNA. That's a very different ROI than a one-time influencer post that disappears from the feed in 24 hours.
"We're not just getting you content creators — we're building you a content library. Every video produced becomes an asset you own and run in perpetuity. That's Content as Advertising — and it's exactly what the LGBTQ+ market responds to."
"We here at Pink Media have undertaken some unique strategies to turn LGBTQ+ community voices into marketing assets for our clients. The Archer campaign is a perfect example — authentic creators, community-relevant content, and licensing rights that let Archer keep running what works. That's a cutting-edge strategy that lies at the nexus of LGBTQ+ PR and advertising, with an #ILoveGay twist." — Matt Skallerud, President, Pink Media
Is Your Brand Ready for Content as Advertising?
We hope you like what you see! If you're a brand, a destination, an app, or an organization with a story to tell to the LGBTQ+ community — the Content as Advertising model is the most authentic, scalable, and cost-effective way we know to build that story. Our influencer and content creation programs start at $10,000 and include creator recruitment, campaign briefing, content production, review, licensing, and management. Give us a try and let us prove to you we can get LGBTQ+ folks to SEE your advertising and ENGAGE with it in the form of comments, likes, and shares.
Reach the LGBTQ+ Community. Leverage the Power of Social Relationships. That's what we do — 24/7, 365 days a year. Pink Media: A Company With INFLUENCE.
