Whiskey company J&B recently released an ad that's garnering a great deal of praise for its focus on inclusivity. It's called "She, a Christmas tale by J&B." On the J&B Spain YouTube page, where you can watch the 3-minute ad, the text reads as follows (thanks to my friend Sandro Barros for the translation from Spanish):
At J&B, we want everyone to be able to celebrate Christmas without feeling left out. Sadly, on the holidays, many from the LGTBIQ+ collective feel uncomfortable around or rejected by their families unable to celebrate the holidays with them. For this reason, we have made this Christmas story starring a grandfather and his family. It stars Ella Di Amore, a 26-year-old multidisciplinary trans artist, who gives voice and visibility to the collective. We would like this story to make us reflect on the meaning of the holidays and that there can always be room at the table for acceptance, respect and, above all, celebration. We want to celebrate ourselves.
More information about the ad is posted on the ad's main website. Molly Sprayregen, writing for LGBTQ Nation, provides additional context for the campaign:
A Spanish whiskey advertisement is warming hearts around the world for its call to families to accept their trans family members this holiday season.
The ad for J&B whiskey, called "She," opens with an elderly man trying on makeup and reading cosmetic magazines as he practices applying lipstick and eyeshadow.
At first, it seems the ad is about this man discovering his trans identity, but as the ad goes on, it becomes clear he is learning about makeup to be able to support his trans granddaughter.
The ad shows the grandfather's family arriving for Christmas, including his trans granddaughter, who is initially introduced in the ad as 26-year-old Álvaro. While the family prepares a feast, the grandfather whisks away his granddaughter, who at that moment is presenting as male, and helps her apply a full face of makeup.
When she returns to the family, the ad now identifies her as Ana. Her entire family is brought to joyful tears and embraces her.
The ad then reads in Spanish: "The magic is not only in Christmas. It is also in us."
Amid the rising tide of anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and hate crimes, it's terrific to see such a welcoming and celebratory ad.
