Honey Maid, enabler of graham cracker crusts and Teddy Graham nostalgia, has been on the forefront of the LGBT corporate acceptance trend since debuting their “This Is Wholesome” campaign—which featured a two-dad family—back in 2014. (Their great follow-up response to bigoted criticism of that ad proved their commitment to equality ran deep.) Now, the company is back with a further iteration on the “wholesome” theme for Valentine’s Day—and, frankly, it’s wonderful.
The spot, titled “Love Day” and crafted by agency Droga5, sidesteps the typical V-Day focus on couples and instead askes that viewers “think of love differently.” What follows is a series of moving snapshots of familial acceptance. A gay son comes out to his mother, who immediately wraps him in a hug: “You gay? It’s OK, hun! I knew you were. I knew you were, hun.” A pair of non-biological brothers assert their fraternity. A young transgender man thanks his mother for her understanding. A man given up for adoption thanks his birth parents for their choice. And a lesbian asks her grandmother if she’s “OK.” “Nothing would stop me from loving you my dear,” the grandmother replies.
Cynicism is my usual approach to Valentine’s Day, but Honey Maid has succeeded in making this cold heart feel. Heart candies and cheap flowers may have grown empty, but love like this is still worth celebrating.
