As we inch closer to February 14th, the sappy Valentine’s ads stack up by the dozen, with leading companies like Hallmark being the main culprits. Was this year any different? No—but we did get a sweet surprise this time.
Hallmark’s newest ad campaign, “Put Your Heart To Paper”, includes a real-life biracial lesbian couple with a real-life message:
This wonderful ad is just one of many displays of inclusiveness aimed toward gay consumers in recent years. Huge businesses like Starbucks, Marriott, and Banana Republic have all released ad campaigns featuring LGBT people and shown active support of the queer community. Tiffany & Co. even featured a real-life gay couple for their “Will You?” campaign to showcase the diversity of marriage (which is a step in the right direction, even if it doesn’t go much further than gay cisgender white men who can afford expensive wedding rings).
As ads this Hallmark's become the norm, it’s only going to become more profitable to be progressive: The backlash against companies that reveal anti-gay policy or even associate with anti-gay organizations garner a lot of traction—remember that Chick-fil-A fiasco in 2012? LGBTQ marketing, simply put, is good for business.
We hope this couple will be one of many to appear on television and get people all over the world reaching for a tissue box. Because hey—when sappy and authentic go hand in hand like this, it’s nearly impossible not to get a case of the feels.
Image via AdWeek and Daily Mail
