Sapphic TV Ads / Commercials

Queer TV Ads: Dykes, Camera, Action!

I really do love ads as when I was growing-up, I wanted to be a ... commercial / fashion photographer. Some TV ads truly gave me teenage kicks, such as Dunlop's "Tested For The Unexpected", Guinness' "Surfer", Levi's "Odyssey", "Nike's "What will they say about you?" ... to name a few.

I can't recall when I saw my first sapphic kiss in a TV ad. Do you? For me, was it cringvelle city, match.com's 2016 "Love Your Imperfections" commercial? Slap my wrist (I too) - I honed-in on the lesbian kiss and didn't digest the un-pc tagline. Did I even look to commercials for lesbian / LGBTQ visibility? Hmm ... on reflection, surprisingly no. Did you? Alas, I had been burnt by faux sapphic kisses: in pop vids to sell records and, in drop dead gorgeous model ads to sell perfume, booze, bras 'n knickers & cars. So I sought sapphic content via movies and books. Compiling this list of sapphic TV adverts, however, has unexpectedly changed my mind on my appreciation of good LGBTQ+ inclusivity in advertising as, in hindsight, I would have loved to have seen some of these heartwarming ads below, when I was growing up.

Should TV Ads Be LGBTQ+ Inclusive?
Forgive me - I'm only being contentious to try to entice you to click the reveal link below, for I hope some interesting insights :) ...

Forgive me fo0r being boring, but I do think one should consider these sapphic television ads, in the context of the legality of same sex LOVE, some queer watershed moments on (uK) Television, and buck-seeking brand marketing / revenue goal motives.

Private, Consensual, Same-sex Sexual Activity Is Still Criminal In some Countries
60 jurisdictions across the world still criminalise: private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity and, 40 countries criminalise private, consensual sexual activity between women. (Source: humandignitytrust.org)

Censorship on LGBT Content
51 countries currently impose LGBT Content Censorship which manifests in the censoring / banning of: books, movies, TV programmes, advertsising, websites, and articles that discuss LGBTQ+ themes or advocate for LGBTQ+ rights (Source: equaldex.com). For example:
* China: Since 2017, TV and online portrayals of what Chineese censors deem to be "abnormal sexual behaviours", including same-sex relationships, have been banned by the China Netcasting Services Association. For example, check out Cartiers slick "Trinity" (2020) ad released ahead of China's Qixi Festival (Valentine's Day). Are the 2 same-sex pairs, only just "good" friends or are they coded? (Source: theguardian.com.)



Queer Watershed Moments On British Television
* 1936: The launch of a regular television service in Britain - The BBC was the first broadcaster in the world to provide a regular television service, which has been ad free ever since. Across the pond, three years later, in 1939, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) became the first network to feature regular broadcasts in America.
* 1941: First ever TV ad - is purported to have been made for Bulova watches which was aired on American TV, on July 1, 1941.
* 1955: First advert broadcast on British television - on the 22nd September 1955, the first TV ad was aired on British television which was for, drum roll ... Gibbs SR toothpaste. The ad was aired on the same day as the first broadcast of ITV (Independent Television). For the uK, the reach of television ads increased with the launches of Channel 4 in 1982 and Channel 5 in 1995.
* 1965: First documentary / current affairs programme about lesbians broadcast on British television - in 1965, ITV's weekly current affairs television programme "This Week - Lesbians", attempted to answer the question ... "What is lesbianism? What causes it, "problem of homosexuality"... and can it be cured?" !!!
* 1967: Decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK - in 1967, the Sexual Offences Act was passed which decriminalised private homosexual acts between men aged over 21. The law, however, was not changed for Scotland until 1980, or for Northern Ireland until 1982.
* 1970: First gay kiss on British television - the first kiss between two men was broadcast on the 6 August 1970, during a BBC2 performance of Edward II (by Christopher Marlowe) when King Edward II (Ian McKellen) and nobleman Piers Gaveston (James Laurenson) kiss.
* 1974 - First lesbian kiss on British television - the first kiss between two lesbian characters was broadcast on the 22 February 1974, during the BBC2 drama "Girl" which tells the sapphic LOVE story of two LESBIANS in the British Army.
* 1998 - First commercial to feature a gay couple on British television: Unilever's men's bodyspray "Impulse - Chance Encounter ad is purported to be the first television ad on British television which featured an overtly gay couple. The Yanks, however, got there first ... Ikea's "Dining Room" ad aired in 1994, featured the first openly gay couple on American televsion.
* 1998 - First commercial to feature a non-faux lesbian kiss on British television - I'm hazzarding a guess that Kronenbourg's 1664 Commercial: C'est la Vie ad featured the first lesbian kiss on British television? See below. * 2015 - The most complained about TV ad ever in the UK - to date, the most complained about TV ad ever in the UK is bookmaker's Paddy Power's 2015 campaign, in which Paddy Power staggeringly offered their punters their money back if South African professional Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius was cleared of the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Utterly, shameful! * Slide Aside: Sapphic stories in movies had been appearing as early as 1923 (in Germany). Hurrah for the uK - according to uK's Ofcom's rules; TV ad breaks can't be longer than 3 minutes and 50 seconds and in any given hour of television, there should be no more than 12 minutes of advertising. Poor American TV audiences.

LGBTQ+ Inclusivity In Advertising
So why has it taken so long for companies to include LGBT people in their television ads? See above, even now in the 2020s some countries still criminalise private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity and, LGBT content in media and teaching is still censored. For example, according to glaad.org's 2023 Advertising Visibility Index report:
* of the 436 ads aired on American linear television (a country that is perceived to be liberal in 2023(Hmm, under looming Trump 2.0?), from the top ten largest advertisers, LGBTQ people received 1.42% of screen time and are featured in only 3% of ads. Shoot me for pragmatically indicating, from a business point of view the LGBTQ+ community constitues a teeny-weeny percentage of the population - see below.

One can appreciate that TV Ads can be expensive to make and expensive to broadcast. Production costs can range from £10K upwards. Dippy aside - to date, the most expensive TV commercial ever made was Chanel's "The Film" (2004), which was directed by slick Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, featured Nicole Kidman, lasted circa 2 minutes and eye-wateringly, cost around £25 million. The cost to broadcast a TV ad can vary greatly, for example, a 30-second slot on uK's Channel 4 daytime TV may cost between £1K – £2K, while peak time slots may cost £10K – £20K. According to NPR, airing a 30-second ad during the 2024 Super Bowl cost a staggering $7 million!

According to Thintank (the UK's marketing body for commercial TV), the average duration of TV ad is 30 seconds which is a really short time to sell, sell, sell / convey a brand message. Marketing teams and ad agencies will have been tasked to identify what message the commercial needs to convey and target audiences by region and demographics. And here's where LGBTQ+ Inclusivity will be considered. It's nigh impossible to know the exact number of LGBTQ+ people in the world as understandably not everyone chooses to share this information publicly. Statista.com's 2023 survey suggests a minium of 7% of the global population is LGB. Considering above, from a company's perspective this is a tiny audience to target.

NB As well as being broadcast on televison and in cinemas, there is now the additional eyeball oppertunities for commercials to be seen via social media platforms.

Why Do Companies Create LGBTQ+ Inclusive Adverts?
Cynical Reasons:
* Pink pound / rainbow capitalism - as homsexuality became legal and more accepted in some countries, in the '90s savy marketing agencies realised that gay people had more disposable income as they generally tended not to have children.
* Lame queerbaiting - companies baited gay customers via the suggestion of a gay relationship whilst trying not to alienate straight customers.
* Fake Corporate Social Responsibility - Corporate Social Responsibility such as promoting diversity and inclusion, has become increasingly important not only to companies (as it increases customer retention and loyalty, improves brand imaging ... ) but to customers.

Genuine Reasons
* Corporate Social Responsibility - there are some fab companies who have been Allies of the LGBTQ+ community for decades. According to glaad.org's 2023 Advertising Visibility Index report: 66% of Americans feel advertisers have a responsibility to give visibility within their content for LGBTQ individuals, couples, and families. Moreover, as homosexuality becomes more socially accepted, younger generations are coming out (e.g. in America, 28% of Gen Z adults (ages 18-25) identify as LGBTQ+, Source: hrc.org) and the number of LGBTQ+ allies (parents, siblings and friends of gays) are increasing.

Check out glaad.org's insightful reports on Amercian e.g. LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Adverts, LGBTQ+ Visibility Perceptions in Advertising and The Advertising LGBTQ+ Visibility Index: 2023

Advertising Complaints Regarding LGBTQ+ Inclusive TV Ads
Most countries have some sort of organisation that regulates TV advertising which is great for banning any type of hate propaganda etc. Compiling this site, I've been amused at some of the annual top ten results of complaints. For example, the UK's 3rd most complained about TV ads of 2016, as cited by the Advertising Standards Authority [ASA] (the UK's independent advertising regulator) was ... drum roll ... Match.com's "Love Your Imperfections" LGBTQ+ inclusive ad which featured a lesbian snog (GASP)! Considering the 810 complaints that challenged whether the ad was sexually explicit and inappropriately scheduled, ASA judged the ad did not cause serious or widespread offence. FYI that year the most complained TV ad recieving the most complaints at 1,063 was for Moneysupermarket's "Gary the Bodyguard" regarding, brace yourself, Garys "sexy" dancing which was not suitable to be seen by children. Get a life! Light-heartendness aside, putting into perspective 810 complaints for Match.com's sapphic kiss - this equates to 0.01% of the UK population. (In 2016, the UK population was estimated as 65.6M of which circa 53.3M were over the age of 16.) But, complaints soar when it comes to social media with some really vile hate comments.

Social Media's Hateful Rhetoric On LGBTQ+ Inclusive Ads
Social media companies should be fined and shamed for their lack of content management responibilty i.e eliminating hateful rhetoric, bullying, fake news etc. If you watch some of these sapphic TV ads directly on Youtube, do check out the comments - some must have been so offensive that they switched off commenting. For example:
- Russia: Since 2022, Russia bans any content deemed to be spreading gay "propaganda" including in media, cinema, books and advertisements. In 2021, at the end of gay pride month, under the slogan "Recipes for family happiness", an upmarket Russian health food chain, VkusVill, posted an online advertisement on Instagram showing a ... lesbian family. Double Red Flag! Since 2013, Russia bans gay marriage and adoption by gay couples. Though the post was published on Instagram which is not censored by Russia it still triggered a commenting storm both for and against featuring a lesbian couple. Swiftly, VkusVill bailed out, apologised, removed the ad and replaced it with a lame hetty family - see BBC. In the rapid waterfall of comments, though the lesbian family and children recieved support, the abuse was so horoednous that the family fled Russia to Barcelona, Spain.

Working in online marketing, valuing my privacy and having read some really awful acidic comments in the past on other peoples accounts, a while back I retreated personally from social media and, intentionally do not promote this site via social media platforms.


My Reflection
Compiling this list of sapphic ads, opened up my eyes and mind to appreciating LGBTQ+ inclusion in advertsing, when it is well-executed. Though I prefer LGBTQ+ people to be integrated into a campaign so it becomes part of the norm, I do appreciate empathethic LGBTQ+ ads which have been specifically created to support LGBTQ+ events such as Pride month, LGBT history month etc. To my utter surprise some touching ads like Starbucks' "#whatsyourname" and McDonald's Philippine "You're My Happy Place" commercials, have even slightly changed my attutitue towards some naff brands but, no way am I gonna eat a limp McDonalds nor sip an insipid starbucks capuccio :)

A Message To You, Rudy (Brands & Ad Agencies)
To companies and creative ad agencies - a heartful thank you to those who have nailed it, melted hearts and changed attitudes. Please continue to create inclusive, engaging and clever ads with LGBT+ inclusion as these may change the perceptions of the haters with the hope that one day a queer person, couple, family is just part of the norm. And remember ... "If you want to be interesting, be interested" David Ogilvy.

Shout-outs
I started compiling this list independly and from scratch. Several times I came across Marketing the Rainbow who had compiled some of the same vids but also included gay ads - Hi five! Also check out ilovegay.net.

PS
Initially, I didn't wish to bore you with TV ad summaries as I embedded the Youtube vid but decieded to include them, in case the ad was not avialable to be viewed in a certain country or it had been censored. If you know of any groundbreaking, early and international sapphic TV ads available to view on Youtube, please do email with your suggestion. To be included later: UNFPA's (United Nations Population Fund) "Redefining Closets" (2023, Argentina)

1987: AIDS: Monolith (UK)

"AIDS: Monolith" Ad Synopsis: In slow motion and in dark light, sinisterly a mountain explodes; an industrial drill bores into a huge block of rock; the word 'AIDS' is chiselled into a polished surface of a granite headstone and a "Don't Die of Ignorance" leaflet drops onto it's surface followed by a bouquet of white lilies. Tagline: "Don't Die of Ignorance".

The 1987, harrowing "AIDS: Monolith" TV campaign run by the uK Government's Department of Health was hugely impactful. Bu this was four years after The Terrence Higgins Trust was founded to raise funds for research and awareness of the illness that was then called 'Gay-Related Immune Deficiency' (GRID). At first AIDS was so wrongly described as the "GAY Plague". It was NOT a "GAY Plague". Voiced by actor John Hurt, the "AIDS: Monolith" TV ad's message was clear: "There is now a danger that has become a threat to us all.". Quoting The World Health Organization (WHO): "HIV is spread from the body fluids of an infected person [STRAIGHT or GAY], including blood, breast milk, semen and vaginal fluids. It is not spread by kisses, hugs or sharing food". WHO estimated that at the end of 2023: 39.9 million people were living with HIV.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Nicolas Roeg

Commissioned by: uK Government

1996: Boisvert Commercial - The Appointment (uK)

Boisvert's "The Appointment" Ad Synopsis: interspersed between cuts of sexy lady putting on luxurious and racy lingerie; sexy lady enters swanky restaurant; passes guys checking her out and sits down at a table, where she kisses her waiting girlfriend. Tagline: "Do men deserve it? No".

Bravo, Boisvert! "The Appointment" is a cracking ad. It doesn't feel as though it was not made for the male gaze. Shame, there is little info about it. So far I have been able to establish that, Boisvert was a luxury Lingerie retailer first launched in Covent Garden and then in Mayfair, near Bond Street.

Nifty Aside: The first TV ad to feature a REAL women's torso, naked except for a bra was broadcast in 1969 and was made by iconic "Wonderbra" (compare it to Wonderbra 1968 commercial). Previously, bras were only allowed to be displayed on mannequins which were either headless, armless or both! Though not lezza, my fav killer lingerie "ad" = Victoria's Secret 2006 catwalk bliss.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: Boisvert (English luxury lingerie retailer)

1998: Kronenbourg 1664 Commercial: C'est la Vie (France)

Kronenbourg 1664's "C'est la Vie" Ad Synopsis: man comes up to sexy girl dancing on disco floor and whispers into her ear. At the bar he buys her TWO Kronenbourg 1664s (that's generous). She walks off ... to her girl friend, who puts her arm around her. Below a neon club sign "C'est la vie", Tagline: "The best loved premium beer in France".

Kronenbourg 1664's "C'est la Vie" TV advert was one of three TV ad's by Young & Rubicam who sought to promote the French lager's sophistication compared to it's arch-rival's, Stella Artois, rustic image. One of a string of gay tv ad tropes of boy/girl accepting a wink/drink but who go off with their gay loved one. First time round that made me smile. Copycats made me, frown.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Young & Rubicam

Commissioned by: Scottish Courage (brewing company)

1999: Campari Commercial - Adulterous Scratches (Italy)

Campari's "Adulterous Scratches" Ad Synopsis: To photographers' flashlights, elegantly suited woman descends grand stairs to a trendy bar. At the apex of a triangle she sites opposite modelesque man and woman. She eyes the man, seductively taps her glass of Campari, he grasps his shoulder. In-a-mood, the other girl gets up and yanks his collar wide, to reveal nail marks. Via finger nail marks on their necks it transpires she's been snogging, them both! Tagline: "Campari".

In 1999, Campari was playing in their TV ads with sexual identity: with "Adulterous Scratches" bisexuality and with "Red Passion" gender identity. Though "Adulterous Scratches" was one of the earliest commercials to feature bisexuality, sadly it fell into the trope that bi's are ... unfaithful. I say no more.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: Campari (Italian Alcoholic beverage company)

2005: Toyota Corolla Commercial - Girlfriend (Canada)

Toyota's "Girlfriend" Ad Synopsis: in white picket fenced, small town America, girl is sitting with her father on their front porch steps, waiting for her loved one to pick her up. Protectively her Daddy asks: "Is he like all the others?" which insinuates that her previous boyfriends were pish / unreliable. Decisively, she replies "Nope". As cool Toyota Corolla rolls up he is says "I like him.". Daddy goes into house, she gets into the car and, kisses her ... girlfriend! Tagline: "One thing you can count on ... Toyota".

One of the first car manufactures to feature a lesbian couple in a TV ad? Though, hurrah it does feature a cute lesbian couple, one does feel somewhat cheated that Toyota was half-heartedly waving the rainbow flag. Why weren't they brave enough, for the daughter to correct her father when he was referring to her sweetheart as "He"? Does the tagline infer that the "One thing you can count on is Toyota" and not your father? Hmmm. Or was it part of a series of five commercials that were identical except for the reveal? Luck you, if you have subscription to adage.com to find out.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi Toronto

Commissioned by: Toyota (Japanese automobile manufacturer)

2007: SilverJet Mile-High Club Commercial (uK)

SilverJet's "Mile-High Club" Ad Synopsis: aeroplane in flight; somewhat nervously a lady exits a toilet... seconds later a somewhat disheveled lady exits the same toilet and sits down beside the first lady. Tagline: "Fly SILVERJET.com".

When SilverJet introduced "women-only loos" on some of their planes they created this witty ad. Hi-fiving this ad! Though I think women would have embraced the wit, someone commented on a blog (when online marketing and social media was in it's infancy) "Where's a poor straight girl to go?" who was a man! T.W.A.T LOL. I can't recall SilverJet. On seeing this ad now, certainly, I would have considered flying with SilverJet not to join the mile-high club (call me a killjoy - I don't like doing hanky-panky in a bog!) but for their LGBT inclusion and wit.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: M&C Saatchi?

Commissioned by: SilverJet (British airline - now defunct)

2009: Fiat Stilo Commercial - Sedução (Portugal / Brazil)

Fiat's Sedução Ad Synopsis: Handsome man and women halt their car at zebra crossing. A cool Fiat Stilo with darkened window glass stops beside them. Both Look admiringly to the Stilo; then the girl jumps into the Stilo, revealing the driver to be ... a cute girl. Tagline: "Novo Stilo".

Yet another car advert with a sapphic twist with LGTBQ+ iceberg theory marketing. Shoot me, but when the girls are cute one can't help forgive the ad agency. Perhaps cars are symbolic of golden chariots to whisk off pretty princesses? Ernest Hemingway's famous "Iceberg Theory" (aka "theory of omission") states that a writer should explicitly include only 1/8 of the details, while leaving the other 7/8 implied. Many ads use this theory in their storytelling.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Zeppelin Filmes?

Commissioned by: Fiat (Italian automobile manufacturer)

2012: Vodafone Hungary Commercial - Messing Around (Hungary)

Vodafone Hungary's 2012 (csak rolad szol) Ad Synopsis: a montage of visuals which includes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it lesbian kiss. Tagline: "csak rolad szol" (you're just messing around?).

This visual montage TV advert by Vodafone for the Hungarian market, apparently features the first lesbian kiss in a Hungarian television commercial? I can only presume that the images had been filmed on fabulous Vodafone mobiles and uploaded to social media via fabulous Vodafone broadband? Do enlighten me if I'm wrong in my interpretation. Yet, still a salute for featuring a sapphic kiss for the Hungarian market by a big brand ad which has a huge reach. This was aired in 2012, and the future seemed brighter for the Hungarian LGBTQ+ community. Alas not. In 2021, the Hungarian government introduced a "Propaganda Law" which curtails discussions and portrayals of LGBTI people in schools and in the media (including the television, film, advertising, and publishing industries). Find out more on amnesty.org

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: Vodafone (British multinational telecommunications company)

2012: Althea Pesto Commercial - L'Amore in pantofole (Italy)

Althea Pesto "L'Amore in pantofole" Ad Synopsis: in circa 11 seconds, while two girls snog on a sofa ... camera pans in, to reveal a table in the right eye of view, and a jar of (presumably v yummy) Althea Pesto. Tagline: "Althea".

No need to play "Spot the product"! This was one of Althea's campaigns for their new new pesto sauce based on 5 short love stories which included two gay (girl & boy) loves stories. Was this ad the first lesbian kiss to be featured in a Italian TV ad? The two gay ads were shown on Italian TV only after 11pm. It caused a bit of a flurry. Notice on their YouTube account, after 10 years there are no comments - where they wipe? I lived in awesome Milano for two years, and it's where I came out to myself, found a fabulous group of sweet and supportive gay friends and we sometimes discussed how hard it was being gay in Italy. Seriously would Althea's ad with two girls doing nothing but snogging on a sofa make you wish to hug Althea for being an Ally and get you to buy their pesto sauce? Me - NO!

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: Althea (an Italian brand of La Doria food company)

2013: Fastrack Commercial - Coming Out Of The Closet (India)

Fastrack "Coming Out Of The Closet" Ad Synopsis: in stark backdrop, a pink closet (wardrobe) wobbles beside a yellow phone in the right bottom corner. Two sexy yet slightly disheveled girls come out. On a wrist watch, it shows the time = 10.10. Tagline: "Coming Out Of The Closet. Move On".

Fastrack's sapphic "Coming Out Of The Closet" campaign ran when the rights of the LGBT community was being debated in India. Hi-five, this brave & witty ad encourages the sentiment to "move on". Second, hi-five, this is one of the rare occurrences when tres cool Daft Punk lent one of it's singles ("Something about Us") to a TV commercial. After ten years on Fastrack's Youtube (they should be v proud to have it there) why are there only 90 comments? Has there been ugly comments which they have had removed?

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Lintas (now known as MullenLowe Lintas Group)

Commissioned by: Fastrack (India fashion brand)

2014: XXL Commercial - All Sport United "Airport Love" (Norway)

XXL "Airport Love" Ad Synopsis: V sexy "legs" exits a taxi and enters an airport. From there to her plane, the skill-fullest athletes show off their amazing talents to woo her. Without distraction, she sexily walks on until the runway tarmac where she is greeted with a kiss by her ... sexy girlfriend. Tagline: "Whatever team you play for...XXL All Sports United".

Yet another girl gets the girl trope BUT, XXL's "Airport Love" ace sapphic ad campaign nailed it and was released for the opening ceremony of the controversial 2014 Olympic Winter Games hosted in Sochi, Russia. It was one of the coolest TV ad digs at Russia's awful anti-gay laws. It was uber COOL and huge hugs to all the talented sportsmen who participated in and supported the LGBTQ+ ad (and athletes going to Sochi). Find out more about current LGBT Rights in Russia via e.g. HumanRightsWatch.org.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Schjærven via Camp David

Commissioned by: XXL (Norwegian sports apparel company)

2015: Chobani Simply 100 Commercial - "Love This Life" (Norway)

Chobani Love This Life Ad Synopsis: serene beach holiday, breakfast setting; cute girl sits on her bed with a towel covering her; seductively (NOT) she eats a Chobani yoghurt beside her naked sleeping lover. Sleeper wakes up ... Oh! (clasp-your-face in campy shock) her lover is revealed to be a ... girl. Tagline: "Love This Life".

Was it indeed released for LGBT Pride Month? Yet another supposedly "surprising twist at the end" ads. Is that what LGBTQ characters in tv ads are useful for and clicking a Corporate Social Responsibility checkbox? Rainbow capitalism? Such an UBER snoreville city sapphic ad but I've included it to show how lame some LGBTQ+ ads can be :) Am I being a hard taskmaster, as there are not a 101 ways to advertise e.g. yoghurt in a creative, new and intelligent manner?

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Opperman Weiss

Commissioned by: Chobani (American Greek Yogurt producer)

2015: Wells Fargo Commercial - "Learning Sign Language" (USA)

Wells Fargo Learning Sign Language Ad Synopsis: two moms-to-be learn American Sign Language before they adopt a little girl who is deaf. Tagline: "Together We'll Go Far"

Not only was Wells Fargo's "Learning Sign Language" TV ad purported to be the first American bank to feature a LGBT relationship in a national ad campaign but Wells Fargo is apaprently a genuine a LGBTQ+ ally having been voted consistently for being one of the Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality in America. After this ad's airing, evangelical Christian preacher, Frankin Graham, called for a boycott of Wells Fargo, which was seconded by other organizations, including the anti-LGTB American Family Association. Bravo Wells Fargo & ad agency for their slick LGBT ad with empathethic and enduring storytelling and what feels like a uplifting tagline.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: BBDO San Francisco?

Commissioned by: Wells Fargo (fourth-largest bank in the United States).

2016: Match.com Commercial - "Love Your Imperfections" (uK)

Match.com "Love Your Imperfections" Ad Synopsis: two stories intermingle: a women arriving home tosses her clothes all over her bedroom while she undresses and then, snogs her girlfriend and a guy unbuttons his shirt and pats his really, really wobbly tummy and then snogs his girlfriend. Tagline: If you don't like your imperfections, someone else will".

The UK's 3rd most complained about TV ads of 2016, as cited by the Advertising Standards Authority [ASA] (the UK's independent advertising regulator) was ... drum role ... this Match.com's "Love Your Imperfections" ad. Considering the 810 complaints that challenged whether the ad was sexually explicit and inappropriately scheduled, ASA judged the ad did not cause serious or widespread offence. Source: ASA. Groovers, not only do I think this was a snoreville commercial but, regardless of being hetty or gay, the tagline screams pants to me - "imperfections" sounds degrading and bait for bullying.

Under this campaign's tagline of "Love Your Imperfections", Match.com also ran print adverts across London Underground's that received a hammering and, were removed! Posters in London's underground with the same tagline included a photograph of a woman with red hair, hazel eyes and freckles on the upper half of her face (OMG what's wrong with that?) while another featured someone with one brown eye and one blue eye - Bowie also had Heterochromia Iridium and he became an uber pop LEGEND. In contrast, Marc Jacobs' "Perfect" perfume ad (2023) is indeed, perfect!

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: Match Group (American online dating provider)

2017: Magnum Commercial - "The Ceremony" (Spain)

Magnum Spain "The Ceremony" Ad Synopsis: Pretty girl prepares for her wedding; exits wedding car; walks towards the alter to her waiting, pretty ... fiancé. After the lush wedding, at their posh wedding reception they share a ... yummy Magnum ice cream. Tagline: "MAGNUM".

The first sapphic TV ad wedding? Magnum's "The Ceremony" ad was part of Unilever's "Pleasure is Diverse" campaign. In Australia some one got their knickers in a twist and wrote an official complaint to Unilever Australia: "Promotion of lesbianism during family viewing time. I know this will not be taken seriously as ramming this down our throats now happens daily." The complaint was dismissed by the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau (ABS) - Source: lotl.com.

Of course the betrothed wouldn't eat an icecream for dessert but the product placement was totally feasible. Hi-fiving this global brand with HUGE global reach for creating this ad as, when I was growing up - I just couldn't imagine for me, how it would be to marry a lesbian partner in a church, the conundrums of what to wear and the thought that church would be so empty with only a few friends to witnesses it. So different to what I imagined if I married, if I was hetty. Magnum's sapphic "The Ceremony" ad made me smile and rethink my view.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: LOLA MullenLowe

Commissioned by: Magnum (brand of ice cream under Unilever)

2017: New Orleans Tourist Board - "Reverse Parade" (USA)

New Orleans Tourist Board "Reverse Parade" Ad Synopsis: to the bewilderment of a loving crowd, a flamboyant pride parade stands still. It then starts marching ... backwards with participants taking off campy wigs, make-up, wedding rings, until a drummer is left alone in the empty street. The crowd looks on astonished. Then the drummer starts a beat again and, the gays return much to the jubilance of the crowd. Tagline: "New Orleans ALWAYS OPEN".

This clever TV ad "Reverse Parade" brilliantly sent an empowering and moving message that New Orleans is "never going back" in the closet with their Mardi Gras parade and, that the diverse city of New Orleans is "always open." This is particularly poignant as some states in the US are reverting some of their LGBTQ+ laws for example in March 2023, Tennessee became the first state to pass a law that limits drag performances. Two months later Montana tried to become the first state in the United States to specifically ban people dressed in drag from reading books to children at public schools and libraries regardless of the sexual significance of the event. Check out lgbtmap.org's map which shows which states restrict drag performances. New Orleans has been always a destination dream for me cos of their history in the blues - after this ad, I'm so wanna visit. Bravo!

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Trent Jaklitsch & 360i

Commissioned by: New Orleans Tourist Board

2019: Renault Clio Commercial - "The French Exchange" (Worldwide)

Renault "The French Exchange" Ad Synopsis: a bittersweet "French exchange" friendship and their Renault Clios are tracked over three decades. Hurrah and rainbow poppers a popping, at the end ... the girl gets the girl. Tagline: "The ALL-New Renault Clio - 30 years in the making".

Renault Clio, is the best-selling French car of all time. Surely, Renault's clever and empathetic "30 years in the making" campaign featuring the TV ad "The French Exchange" made every girl friend of Dorothy miss-a-heart-beat. For me it's flawless. My fav sapphic TV advert of all time! Deservedly it one numerous LGBT+ and hetty adverting awards including winning a gold at The British Arrows 2021.

I had been unaware, Renault and its long-term ad agency Publicis have been LGBT+ allies as far back as 2003. In 2003, they produced "Gay Cop" ad where a sexy motorcycle policeman stops a Renault male driver; gives him ticket, scoots away and it transpires that the ticket is sexy cops phone number! In 2010, the duo created a Renault Twingo Ad which featured another take on the sapphic blindfold scenario where one girl goes off with the other's [X], see below. And in 2012, the long running and much loved Renault Clio "Nicole & Papa" ads which were first launched in 1996, culminated in Papa marrying ... a Guy! (a hi-five to gays who had been trying to live hetty married lives, when it was socially unacceptable to be gay).

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Frédéric Planchon & Publicis•Poke

Commissioned by: Renault (French multinational automobile manufacturer).

2020: Douwe Egberts Commercial - "Something To Share" (Belgium)

Douwe Egberts Something To Share Ad Synopsis: Two teenage girls making-out on the sofa; oh-oh; hear parent's car pull into the driveway. Mortified, they run out of the room as the father of one of the girls comes through the door. As the girls enter the daughter's bedroom, she receives a text from her dad containing three coffee emojis. Apprehensively, the girls come down into the kitchen where her father is waiting ... with three cups of yummy Douwe Egberts coffee. Tagline: "Het ruikt heir naar Douwe Egberts" (It smells like heaven?).

Bravo Douwe Egberts - they nailed it with their sweet sapphic coming out story and, incorporated their product seamlessly into the fab "Something To Share" ad. Utterly Goldstar - I wished my Mummy, would have reacted like that when I tipsily came out to her. According to PinkNews Douwe Egberts' Something To Share ad recieved an amazing response on Twitter e.g. "I for one am super crying. I'm not even LGBTQI and I would my right arm to have that dad." and sweetly a key criticism seemed not be from homophobes, but rather sweeties who were concerned for the daughter's glasses! "This is cute and all, but do not ever throw my glasses behind me like that. I will stop it all to put them on the table." But those were the days of Twitter sweet tweets - not acidic X posts :(

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: BBDO Belgium

Commissioned by: Douwe Egberts (Dutch coffee company).

2020: Oreo Commercial - "Proud Parent" (USA)

Oreo Proud Parent Ad Synopsis: in white picket-fence, small-town America a daughter nervously brings her girlfriend home to meet her family. Her mother and sister are welcoming but her father is distant. One night he walks in on the couple watching sweet videos of the daughter and her father. The next morning the couple inquisitively go out to her father who is knelt down by the garden fence ... he's painting it in ... rainbow colours. Tagline: "A loving world starts WITH A LOVING HOME. Show you're a #PROUDPARENT".

To celebrate National Coming Out Day in America, Oreo brand hooked up with PFLAG (an American organisation that helps the LGBTQ+ community) to produce the Proud Parent campaign. As well as producing the ad campaign, Oreo released Limited Edition #ProudParent Oreo Rainbow Cookies (with the 7 rainbow flag cream fillings) which were not sold in shops but given away by "sharing a photo of what allyship means to them" on social media. In conjunction, Oreo also launched OreoProudParent.com which sadly seems to mothballed now - why? It was really a touching ad and featured a real lesbian couple!

"One Million Moms" (an American socially conservative advocacy group created by the American Family Association to "stop the exploitation of children" by the media), however, didn't find the ad touching and launched a petition threatening to boycott Oreo and its parent company, Mondelez International. Ironically, "One Million Moms" has nowhere near one million mummy members - on Facebook circa 98,000 followers? Recently they have also got their knickers in a twist again by boycotting the movie "Wicked" (2024) claiming the movie pushes "the LGBTQ agenda on families, particularly children." FFS! Learn more about the making of the Proud Parent ad.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Cole Webley & 360i

Commissioned by: Oreo (brand of cookies under Mondelēz International, Inc.)

2022: Extra Gum Commercial - "Don't hold yourself back... Do What Makes You Ding" (USA)

Extra Gum "Don't hold yourself back" Ad Synopsis: Two cute young females, stuck in a traffic jam, start chewing Extra Gum, pump up the volume of Carly Rae Jepsen' fabulous and earworming "Call Me Maybe", have a wee car dance and then, start ... snogging. Tagline: "Do What Makes You Ding".

Even though it seems such a mild and lame ad, Holy Moly, read some of the circa 2k comments on YouTube e.g. "What's next? A snickers ad of a dude giving another dude a rusty trumbone." No wonder why I have shied away from marketing this site via social media. Though bless one sweet commenter wrote: "pov: they cut the kissing part in my country so we only got 2 girls sitting awkwardly in a car and then start dancing out of no where". That comment made in 2023, really does spotlight how ads are censored for LGBTQ+ content in some countries.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Trent Jaklitsch & 360i

Commissioned by: Extra Gum (brand of chewing gum under Wrigley)

2023: Doritos Commercial - "Bold Love" (Mexico)

Doritos "Bold Love" Ad Synopsis: Driving down a long, dark road, playfully girl driver teases her girlfriend (who is eating a packet of yummy Doritos) to express how much she loves her. Tagline: "Bold Love | Doritos | #PRIDEALLYEAR".

In October 2022, same-sex marriage was fully legalised in Mexico and all forms of LGBTQ+ conversion therapy was banned. This heart-warming "Bold Love" ad was Doritos Mexico's latest chapter of its #OrgulloTodoElAño (Pride All Year) campaign and was released for 2023 Valentine's Day to celebrate LGBTQ+ love and the ongoing fight for queer lives to be accepted. The ad ends with really sobering statistics sourced from a survey on discrimination for sexual orientation and gender identity including the stat that: "3 in 10 LGBT people have been thrown out of their homes". I was so sad to read those stats. Having said that, I would have L.O.V.E.D to have seen such an ad when I was growing up and seen that true love can be bold.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Felix Fernandez de Castro & Story We Produce

Commissioned by: Doritos (A brand of tortilla chips produced by Frito-Lay and wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo.).

2023: Eurostar Commercial - "Together We Go Further" (France)

Eurostar "Together We Go Further" Ad Synopsis: Two women "click" on a Eurostar train and then embark on a adventure across five European cities (Amsterdam, London, Paris, Belgium and X?, served by Eurostar). Tagline: "Together We Go Further".

Following Eurostar's merger with Thalys in 2022, the campaign was launched under the slogan "Together we go further" to emphasise "European values of inclusivity, uniqueness, and sustainability". Kudos that they were trying to normalise LGBTQ+ people in a TV / cinema add campaign and featured animations by ten local artists from cities served by Eurostar BUT call me a rainbow party pooper - at first it didn't resonate with me. Then I recalled the mega fun I had holidaying with my girlfriend at the time.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: adam&eveDDB & DDB Paris

Commissioned by: Eurostar (French (?) railway company)

2023: McDonald's Commercial - "You're My Happy Place" (Philippines)

McDonald's Philippines You're My Happy Place Ad Synopsis: Cute skater girl circles a drive-in McDonald's for a hamburger, chips and coke. On dessert (a McFlurry ;), she leaves with the girl server, hand-in-hand. Tagline: "M".

Though I H.A.T.E McDonald's this is such a sweet commercial, feeling "normal", genuine and cute (am I really saying this of McDonald's?). McDonald's launched the campaign during Pride month (29 May 2023). Though there was support for the commercial including from Miss Universe Philippines 2023, Michelle Dee, who had just come out as bisexual - others within the LGBTQ+ community criticised McDonald's for creating queer-inclusive advertisements only during Pride month. Lest we forget, that in some countries being "gay" is taboo / illegal. Yeh, I will take it with a pinch of salt that McDonald's produced this for Pride Month nonetheless, McDonald's is a Mega global brand and hugely popular with a HUGE international following on social media and the brands acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community will filter through to haters.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Cole Webley & 360i

Commissioned by: McDonald's Philippines (American multinational fast food chain - euch!)

2023, Christmas: Vodafone Portugal Commercial - "Christmas 2023" (Portugal)

Vodafone Portugal's "Christmas 2023" Ad Synopsis: at a Christmas family dinner a mother looks over to her son and his boyfriend and reminisces over her lost sapphic love of forty years ago. It spurns her to message her former sweetheart. She hugs her son. Woohoo, she receives a tender reply. Tagline: "Nunca é tarde para ouvires o teu coração" (It's never too late to listen to your heart).

Forgive me if I've I got the mother and son identity wrong. The flashbacks to 1983, highlight how far Portugal had progressed regarding LGB acceptance. It reminds us that in past generations some LGBT people tried to contain their desires and livd their lives as hetties for fear of homophobia. For sure this is still happening where countries criminalise same-sex relations - see Equaldex's LGBTQ+ equality map. BTW Since 2004, The Portuguese Constitution explicitly forbid discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Wunderman Thompson

Commissioned by: Vodafone (British multinational telecommunications company)

Advocating LGBTQ+ Integration In TV Ads

2015: The Advertising Council - "Love Has No Labels" (USA)

The Advertising Council "Love Has No Labels" Ad Synopsis: Valentine's Day 2015, by a sun blissed sandy Florida beach, a crowd gather by a pop-up outdoor stage with a large black screen. Intrigued they wait. In real-time, a serious of skeleton pairs kiss and dance, then each skeleton moves to either side of the screen to reveal themselves including lesbian, and hetty gay couples, African-American couple, sisters ... to the laughs, cheers and applause of the crowd. Tagline: "Love Has No Labels".

In 2015, The American Advertising Council launched a campaign "Love Has No Labels" which was designed to promote acceptance and inclusion of all people across sex, gender, race, religion, ability and age and, in conjunction with lovehasnolabels.com. They nailed it! Moreover, this was a refreshing and uplifting campaign at a time of divisions and escalating hate and violence. To date "Love Has No Labels" has received over 61m Youtube views.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Luke Gilford & R/GA

Commissioned by: The Advertising Council of America.

2015: Robert Dyas Commercial - "Christmas 2015" (uK)

Robert Dyas Christmas 2015 Ad Synopsis: In a Robert Dyas shop, sparsely decorated with dull Christmas decorations, staff and customers introduce themselves by declaring their sexuality, their hobbies and which Robert Dyas product they like. Tagline: "Robert Dyas".

The first time I saw this Robert Dyas' "Christmas 2015" ad, gobsmacked, I almost fell of my seat! As intended by the clever ad team, it went viral on social media and in conversation. I've only now discovered that it was a parody of American retailer Red House Furniture's jaw-dropping yet trailblazing "Black and White People Furniture" commercial (2009). At first I was totally shocked by both ads and found them distasteful yet, on reflection I admire the creatives' audacity which certainly instigated discussion.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: Robert Dyas (UK hardware retailer).

2018: Triumph Commercial - "Together We Triumph" (International?)

Triumph "Together We Triumph" Ad Synopsis: a montage of women having fun, loving and helping each other that includes a blink-and-you-miss-it joyous lesbian wedding. Tagline: "Together We Triumph".

Imagine, in the 1970s there was a trope that feminists burnt their bras! Triumph's witty wordplay "Together We Triumph" 2018 campaign, was an uplifting celebration of women all over the world and acknowledged that queer women are integral to the sisterhood.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Paola Morabito & VCCP

Commissioned by: Triumph (Swiss underwear & lingerie manufacturer)

2020: Starbucks Commercial - "#whatsyourname" (USA)

Starbucks "#whatsyourname" Ad Synopsis: James is bravely transitioning, facing everyday challenges and being deadnamed. For the first time, at a Starbucks store, when asked what name to be written on his Starbucks cup, he nervously replies "James". Without a flinch 'James' is written on his cup. Coffee prepared, the barista matter-of-factly calls out his name 'James'. James smiles as he picks it up. Tagline: ""Every NAME'S a story"".

On the Starbucks YouTube account, comments are turned off for this video - where some comments so vitriol that commenting was turned off or was it never on to avoid this? Starbucks' campaign also supported Mermaids, an organisation supporting transgender and gender-diverse young people in the U.K, by producing a limited edition, special Mermaid Cookie (Winter/Spring 2020) of which 50p from the sale of each cookie went towards raising a minimum of £100k for Mermaids charity helpline service. (FYI that year Starbucks made Gross Profit £32m in the UK, but it was a year of long COVID lockdowns). Though I would rather suffer from not having a fix of coffee than taste a yukey Starbucks cappuccio, I do salute Starbucks on their really ground-breaking and touching "#whatsyourname" commercial.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Iris

Commissioned by: Starbucks (American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery)

2024: Volkswagen Commercial - "An American Love Story" (USA)

Volkswagen "An American Love Story" Ad Synopsis: a montage of 75-years of happy American car owners having fun in their Volkswagen cars; from the brand's import of the first Beetles in 1949 to the buzz electric microbus in 2024. There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it sapphic wedding and kiss. Tagline: The VW LOGO.

As part of its celebration of 75 years market presence in America, Volkswagen's "An American Love Story" commercial was aired during the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII. The 2024 Super Bowl set a record-breaking average TV audience in the US of over 123 million viewers, making it the most watched broadcast since the 1969 Moon landing! So circa 123 million viewers watched two lezzers kissing - I hope they didn't choke on their popcorn!. One bigot, however, wrote on the YouTube video: "Great commercial but did you have to put the lesbian BS in there and the gay crap in there? I mean this is ridiculous you know especially anti-woke is what this country has to do it it’s wrong.". In the 2.05 minute long ad the sapphic wedding and kiss lasted 3 seconds (1.37 - 1.40)! Apparently the commenter has been a YouTube member since 2012 and in 12 years has added no content to his profile page - you don't need to have a YouTube account to watch their videos.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Lance Acord & Johannes Leonardo

Commissioned by: Volkswagen (German public multinational car manufacturer)

PS Some U.G.L.Y & Aint Got No Alibi LGBTQ+ Inclusive TV Ads

Seriously, what where the Ad Agencies thinking / tripping on?

1997: AXE Commercial - "?" (France)

AXE "?" Ad Synopsis: In a rush, girlfriend sprays her boyfriend's fragrant Axe body spray. Throughout the day, women are intoxicated by her seductive smell and one lesbian (arm-in-arm with her girlfriend) gives her a secret sexy wink, to her distain. She returns home and drama-queen-like angrily slams the Axe spray can on to her boyfriends table. Tagline: "AXE. Vaporisez. Le charme agit." (The charm acts).

Am I wrong in having a sinking feeling that the 1997 AXE commercial stinks and is somewhat homophobic? The brand and ad agency clearly choose to show that the girlfriend was angered by women being attracted to AXE's fragrance. Jealously that her boyfriend was attracting such a reaction from girls just doesn't cut it as they choose to include a lesbian wink, which startled the girlfriend. Hetty women don't dress well and smell nice only for men. And what's wrong with a women wearing a boystown fragrance? Sometimes I wear Fahrenheit perfume to remember my father. Why didn't they show that the girl was good-humouredly flattered that women found her fragrance appealing? Grrr!

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: Axe (brand of 'male' body spray by Unilever).

2006: French Connection Commercial - "Fashion vs. Style" (uK)

French Connection "Fashion vs. Style" Ad Synopsis: Two girls fight but not in girly fisticuffs style BUT in a really hardcore violent martial arts fight / beating. At the end they ... sapphically kiss. Tagline: "Fashion vs. Style | French Connection".

French Connection's "Fashion vs. Style" campaign is said to be have been inspired by French designer Yves Saint Laurent's quote: "Fashion fades, style is eternal." The ending kiss is supposed to suggest that neither Fashion nor style wins. Why was the fight so fierce and disturbing? And why didn't they just hug it out at the end? I really found the ad vulgar! Oh My Gosh, it was directed by David Bowie's son Duncan Jones who was apparently inspired by martial arts movies such as "Kill Bill"? Seriously what were they all thinking? Apparently, The UK Advertising Standards Authority received 127 complaints related to the violence and lesbian kiss. Bad ads impact bucks! Retail analysts blamed part of French Connection's sales decline on the campaign which was on top of their sales decline after their launch of the "FCUK" advertising slogan campaign (which I thought was hugely clever and fun, oops).

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Duncan Jones & Beattie McGuiness Bungay

Commissioned by: French Connection (British clothing company).

2006: Castro Commercial - "Red Dress (?)" (Israel)

Castro Red Dress Ad Synopsis: In a schickimicki hotel bar; sexy girl in red dress clicks hot hotel waitress; follows her in to a lift and then into a hotel room. A wee bit of blindfold hanky-panky .. Cut to waitress elegantly exiting in the other's red dress. Tagline: (Sorry I can't read it cos of the annoying YouTube's next vid box).

An excellent example of queerbaiting! Worse still - circa four years later this ad storyline "twist" was ripped off by Renault Twingo's TV ad (2010). In the Renault copycat ad the Sapphic teaser steals ... the keys to a Renault Twingo. Apparently the Renault Twingo ad was banned in Italy by both Rai, the state broadcaster and Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset channels because of it's "racy" lesbian bedroom scene.

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: Castro (Israeli fashion house).

2008: Snickers Commercial - "Mr T: Speedwalker" (uK)

Snickers Mr T: Speedwalker Ad Synopsis: In training, a male speedwalker walks speedily through a quaint American bungalow neighborhood. A macho truck crushes through the opposite bungalow, revealing (uber macho) Mr T at the helm of a rotating machine gun which starts firing out ... Snicker bars at the speedwalker. Tagline: "Snickers | Get Some Nuts".

After a real panning, not only did Mars pull it's Snickers' TV "Mr T: Speedwalker" ad from the uK and, even though it was never shown on American television, it prompted strong protests from the U.S. Watch Olympic speed walking - both men and women ALL use this swinging hips technique (shoot me, as a non-fan, it looks bizarre yet clearly helps wining medals for your "proud" country). Clearly Snickers & the brand agency choose the catchy tagline first Get Some Nuts and pursued this storyboard, regardless of what the perceived responses could be. Snickers seems to enjoy queer-bullying. Snakes! See below - for more crass Snickers ads. So annoying! Snicker bar's (like Mars Bars) are indeed quite tasty but, for me way-too calorific (245 kcal in a bar) so it seems a boystown product? Even though they craftily introduced their v yummy creamy peanut butter bite-sized offshoot, which I thoroughly enjoy, if I were to boycott them it would make no difference. We can only try and change the minds of the boys buying it to stand up against homophobia?

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO

Commissioned by: Snickers (chocolate bar made by American confectionary giant Mars Inc.)

2008: Levi's Jeans - "Twin" Commercials" (USA)

Levi's Jeans "Twin" Commercials" Ad Synopsis: In 2008, Levi's produced a TV ad with two different endings. In a hip flat, while sexy boy is pulling up his 501's, the bustling street below crashes into his apartment, including a handsome stranger in a telephone booth (of course, wearing Levi's too). The two flirtatiously eye each other and eventually walk off into the city together. In the mainstream TV version the handsome stranger is a girl. In the LOGO (a lesbian and gay network owned by MTV) version the handsome stranger is a boy. Tagline: Levi's LOGO.

In neither version do the strangers hold hands nor kiss sexy boy. Were the mainstream audience aware that there was a "gay" version of the ad? Personally, I think having two versions was a cop-out - Levi's should have been brave enough to have just made the "gay" version. The Commercial Closet Association of America, doesn't share my humble opinion LOL and, liked it so much that it awarded the ad "Outstanding Commercial in a Mainstream Market".

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency:

Commissioned by: Levi's (iconic American clothing company).

2013: NatWest Commercial - "Cashback" (uK)

NatWest Cashback Ad Synopsis: A girl meets her boyfriend at station and kisses him. In her flat she kisses her ... girlfriend. She uses her lovely NatWest's bank card in a supermarket; accompanied by her girlfriend she uses her NatWest's app in a coffe shop; enter ... her twin sister and her boyfriend. Tagline: "Casback Plus | Feel rewarded every day".

In 2013, NatWest wanted to be gay friendly. Alas the ad was interpreted as being ... polyamorous friendly! Read the very amusing YouTube comments as their audience was somewhat confused "i was like wait wait wait what? what is happening... she cheat on her husband and had a gf im like wth...", "I thought she was in a polyamorous relationship and was like, damn that's really progressive!". Subsequently, a new voiceover was added where, in unison, the sisters say "and I love my twin sister!"

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: NatWest (UK Bank).

2019: Calvin Klein Commercial - "I Speak My Truth in #MyCalvins" (USA)

Calvin Klein "I Speak My Truth in #MyCalvins" Ad Synopsis: in a sparse backdrop model Bella Hadid and Lil Miquela (a female digital "robot") have a sapphic snog. Tagline: "CALVIN KLEIN".

Calvin Klein's "I Speak My Truth in #MyCalvins" campaign was "a hymn to authenticity and truth". Pfui, pfui, pfui - Bella Hadid is HETTY (heterosexual) and Lil Miquela is a fictional female digital character (who, since 2016, has amassed 1.5m Instagram followers!). Come on ad creatives - faux sapphic kisses are so passe! Twitter was a flutter with dissed LGBTQ community tweets rightly accusing the brand of queerbaiting. In Calvin Klein's apology on X (formerly known as Twitter), they explained: "In this particular video, we explored the blurred lines between reality and imagination.". Double FAIL!

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: Jonas Lindstroem, via Iconoclast

Commissioned by: Calvin Klein (American fashion company).

2021: Snickers Commercial - "El Chiringuito" (Spain)

Snickers El Chiringuito Ad Synopsis: gay Spanish influencer Aless Gibaja playfully orders a "sexy orange juice ... with Vitamins A, B, and C... Abrazitos (Little hugs), Besitos (little kisses), and Caricias (caresses) ..." The waiter serves him a Snickers ice-cream bar. After a bite, Aless transforms into a short-haired, bearded man with a deep butch voice. The friend asks "Better?". "Aless" replies "Better" Tagline: "You're not yourself when you're hungry.".

There was a mighty backlash regarding this ad, including from Spain's Equality Minister. The commercial's release came at a time when Spain was experiencing a wave of homophobia that included homophobic attacks, one of which tragically ended in murder. Snickers Spain pulled the ad, apologised yet they scored a double FAIL, when they explained: "In this particular campaign we wanted to convey in a friendly and lighthearted way that hunger can change your character."

Snickers has an infamous track record regarding offensive LGBT ads. In 2008, their "Mr T: Speedwalker" commercial was pulled, see above. Then their 2007, "Love Boat" ad was pulled. In 2007, Snickers ran a "Love Boat" campaign which tried to engage their customers. more

TV Commercial Dir / Ad Agency: ?

Commissioned by: Snickers (Chocolate bar made by Mars, Inc).