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Watch This : Five Gay Ads of 2016

If you’ve been on the internet lately, you’d have noticed that the latest advertisement to stir a bit of a buzz online is the latest ad for the BBC One channel. In it, a gay couple kisses under the mistletoe, before ending with the channel’s current Christmas slogan “For the moments we share… One-ness.”

The gay kiss only takes up about two seconds in the almost minute and a half video, which also shows a group of Santa’s taking part in a run, teenagers sledding down a hill, and various images of people celebrating the Christmas season. Despite its shortness, the kiss has drawn varied reactions, from people complaining that it’s the BBC “over-representing gay and mixed-race relationships” to people defending it, saying “It’s not political correctness. It’s just real life. It’s a nice festive trailer.”

While it’s the latest ad to draw eyeballs to it because of gay content, it’s only the latest in a year that has seen a lot of gay representation in television commercials. As the year draws to an end, here’s just a sampling of the gay-themed ads we’ve been treated to in 2016.

  1. Tylenol’s #HowWeFamily Campaign

This ad, which began airing in February this year, was directed by Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black. The advertisement features a same-sex prom couple and two gay dads, and was aimed at celebrating the diversity of modern families.

2. Nabisco’s #ThisIsWholesome Campaign

Nabisco’s “Wholesome” commercial for Honey Maid and Teddy Grahams featured a pair of gay father with their children, interspersed with the family made up of a tattooed father, an interracial couple, and a single father. Famously, the ad was called out by One Million Moms as promoting homosexuality, and that it showed “disrespect of millions of American families by supporting the homosexual agenda.”

3. Nordstrom’s “Ultimate Wedding Party”

Before the upscale clothing chain came up with this ad, Nordstrom had already expressed its support of same-sex marriage, which had not been deemed legal by the Supreme Court at the time. The “Ultimate Wedding Party” ad featured pairs of heterosexual and same-sex couples partying to a song by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, both of whom are also supportive of LGBTQ rights.

4. Campbell’s Soup “Made for Real, Real Life” campaign

Another commercial that earned the ire of the One Million Moms group was that of Campbell’s Soup featuring two gay dads and their tie-up with the Star Wars movie franchise. According to One Million Moms, Campbell’s is sending the message that homosexual men are raising children, whom they wouldn’t have if a woman wasn’t involved, and they are OK with it.”

5. Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite commercial

The commercial starts out like any other: a man and a woman are comparing their e-book readers as they lounge near a beach. The man notes that the woman is using a Kindle Paperwhite, and having been won over by its features, buys one himself. He asks the woman if she would like to celebrate, and she responds that her husband is getting her a drink right now. The man smiles and says, “So is mine!” Plain, simple, and accepts the reality of gay life as a matter of fact.

Are there any other advertisements from 2016 that you remember having a gay-friendly vibe? Share it with us in the comments section below!


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  1. Eric

    The Nordstrom ad was posted to YouTube in 2013 so how is it one of the “five gay ads of 2016”? Also, it’s pretty weak in the Gay supportive category. Just a bunch of young people in expensive wedding clothes dancing.

    • Marvin

      There actually is – the first commercial (there are straight people celebrating) & in the Nabisco commercial, there is a str8 woman & str8 man holding hands.
      There’s just not a black gay couple or a mixed race gay couple. The community still hasn’t warmed up to that concept yet. Blacks are still the “last class” citizens in the gay community. Hopefully we’ll work our way to at least 3rd class by the end of my lifetime.

      • Hunter0500

        Yeh. Seemed to be a reasonable number of Black people.

        Didn’t see anyone who looked for sure over 50. Maybe a 40 year old or two. More in their 30s. Tons younger than that.

        Must be that the commercials represent real life where gays die off as they age.

      • Robert

        True…and their are all kinds of models to appeal and help all kinds of their main demographic relate and want to buy their product.

      • Hunter0500

        As a matter of fact, my business dealings have had me hire actors. In every case, the clients wanted everyday people their audiences could relate to.

        • Dave

          Yeah usually high-end store for example, they don’t carry large size, so they will not want plus-size models in their ads. I remember shopping at Bergdorf and it was hard to find my size, and I’m not heavy, just large or sometimes XL, because of gym. Some stores carry only model-sizes like 36-42 jackets, because that’s what they sell.


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