6 Must-Watch Local LGBTQIA+ Pride Ads

Get ready to shed some tears and be hit by nostalgia with these must-watch Filipino LGBTQIA+ pride ads from local brands over the years before the month-long celebration ends.

Filipino companies keep their entries fresh with clever close-to-home skits of coming-out tales, love stories, and the realities of facing gender-based discrimination.

This year, McDonald’s Philippines leaves netizens in awe with their simple and sweet sapphic-themed advertisement, “You’re My Happy Place,” which earns praise and millions of views on social media.

YOUTUBE | McDo Philippines “You’re my happy place…”

The minute-long story features a girl on a skateboard, channeling the appeal of skateboarding star Margielyn Didal (a proud LGBTQIA+ member) while ordering food in the Ride-Thru window. At first, it may look like a friendly yet subtly flirty interaction with the female employee, but it soon reveals that both women are romantic partners.

Here are my top LGBTQIA+ pride ads from local Filipino brands that have grace our screens over the years.

6 Must-Watch Filipino LGBTQIA+ Pride Ads

1. Break down barriers and welcome change! | Smart (2016)

Another addition to the trend of touching coming-out skits of pride ads, SMART cleverly plays on breaking social media barriers and life barriers. The minute-long ad narrates the story of a son hesitating to accept his father’s friend request on social media, knowing he has posted private photos of him and his boyfriend. Finally, he texted his father, “Dad inaccept na kita,” pertaining to the request alone, but his father replied, “Anak ako din.”

2. Kilig #UBERSTORIES | Uber (2017)

Uber, the ride-hailing company, takes the real-life ‘kilig’ story of passenger AJ Tabangay to our screen. It stays true to AJ’s series of tweets narrating his dreamy encounter during an Uberpool with the boy he has a crush on.

He wishes the ride to be excruciatingly long due to traffic for them to stay a little longer together, but out of many days to choose for C5 to be traffic-free, it conveniently happens today. Don’t worry. They eventually get a cute ending. His crush affectionately steps outside for him to get off at the proper drop-off and leaves a sweet smile.

3. Angie & Joey #FreeToLove | Closeup (2018)

Departing from the typical skit format of pride ads, Closeup opts for a sit-down straight-to-camera Q&A to showcase the love of married couple Joey Mead and transwoman Angie King for the “Free to Love” campaign.

In the interview, Angie shares she fears she will be single for the rest of her life, and finding a supportive partner would be difficult as a transwoman who likes women. “I thought it was like never going to happen until I met Jo.”

She also bares the discrimination and experiences as a transwoman, including the struggle with airport security, animosity from using the women’s bathroom, and encounters with old colleagues after transitioning.

While her wife, Joe, offers advice for those who have a similar situation, “…start by opening your heart. That way, your mind is open to possibilities. But always keep in your heart that you love this person, and if you love this person unconditionally, watch this person grow and watch yourself grow in abundance.”

Angie ends with parting words, “…for people who want to transition and have no one to talk to. I want to tell you that don’t lose hope because I thought “there was my hope gone already, completely,” and when I met Jo, everything changed. You just have to be patient.”

4. Nak Amoy Kita | Bench (2018)

Retail brand Bench brings tears to our eyes as it depicts the touching tale of acceptance between a closeted kid and his traditional macho father. It follows the story of the son, JR, who uses the popular “feminine” body mist, “So In Love,” which causes his school crush to notice him because of how good he smells.

JR continues to spray the perfume daily to get noticed, but his father unknowingly teases him that he’s been around girls. His aspirations of getting his crush’s attention turn awry when the perfume eventually runs out. When the son returns home distraught, he discovers a brand-new bottle of the body-mist in his room, with a sweet note from his father that reads: “Nak, amoy kita. Love you!”

5. Be PROUD. Be YOU. | Lazada Philippines (2021)

Lazada, an e-commerce giant, champions diversity, inclusivity, and being unapologetically proud of who you are in their film “Apology” during Pride 2021. Directed by renowned Filipino director Pepe Diokno, it features three members of the LGBTQIA+ community apologizing for “being gay” and even for their mere presence. It apparently hits home for, in fact, over 60% of Filipinos in the community.

The pride ad also underscores that gestures like compliments and using the correct pronoun or chosen name can make the most for LGBTQIA+ members, especially with the daily hatred they experience.

Action movies to watch that are under 90 minutes!

6. Hapag “Paskong Pinoy Series” | IKEA (2022)

Besides their meatballs and affordable furniture, IKEA Philippines again captures the heart of netizens with its heartfelt viral holiday commercial. The Swedish brand released its ad about a coming-out story with a drag twist titled “Hapag: Paskong Pinoy Series” last 2022.

In the video, Luis, the son, tries to come out to his father and introduce his boyfriend, Josh, in time for Christmas. At some point, the couple was caught by his father hugging at their gate, but he never confronted them.

Tension rises when Luis finally breaks the news, and his father appears to storm away to his room. But it comes to a heartwarming revelation that his father is a drag artist named “Ramona.”

The pride ad ends with them eating a hearty Noche Buena, accompanied by his boyfriend Luis and his father’s fellow drag queens.

Pride Ads: Tokenism or Support?

Filipino consumers must put brands that release their pride ads with themes of stories from the underrepresented community to a higher standard. Question their motivations, whether they genuinely promote the inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community or if this is just another example of rainbow capitalism’s tokenism for financial gain. The word “rainbow capitalism,” also known as “pink capitalism is used as a term that means to commodify and commercialize LGBTQIA+ movements.

Some argue that pride ads presenting queer stories to the mainstream can help increase visibility for community members and achieve the long overdue legislation that penalizes discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE).

FACEBOOK | Ezra Acayan

However, merely including pride-related themes or rainbow colors in their products is not enough. They must take the appropriate measures in their backyard to protect employees and consumers in the community.