Same-sex Aussie couples may be barred from getting hitched but there is nothing stopping local brands from showing support and the ones that embrace all their consumers now will be the “heroes”.

About 20 same-sex couple’s marriages have been deemed invalid after the High court struck down the ACT’s gay marriage laws yesterday.

While the Australian Government is slow to follow in the footsteps of countries such as New Zealand so are our brands.

“Australian brands, particularly in comparison to American and British, have been comparatively slow to acknowledge the marketing opportunities within the gay and lesbian community,” Ben Mulcahy, managing director of the Pink Media Group, said.

“Based on 1 in 10 being same sex attracted we are talking about over 2 million people with research showing annual disposable income of $20 billion per annum.”

Brands such as Fitness First, Durex, IVF Australia, Gold Coast Tourism, ANZ, the Commonwealth Bank, Air New Zealand, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and maire claire are supportive, Mulcahy told B&T.

But Australia’s department stores could be getting in on the act like Britain’s Selfridges. According to Mulcahy the brand has been marketing itself to the gay community for years with dedicated fashion shows and regular advertising.

“Myer and David have similar opportunities, brands who support the LGBT community and marriage equality now will be the heroes when the day comes.”

However, Mulcahy warns brands will look “opportunistic” if they only show support if the laws are changed.

“To show support now a public statement supporting AME (Australian Marriage Equality) would be great, featuring same sex couples in their mainstream advertising would be brilliant also.”

Below (and pictured top right) is an example of a current MasterCard running in the US: