On Thursday, Coca-Cola rolled out a new gay-friendly ad called “Pool Boy” as a part of their global #TasteTheFeeling campaign. People are having all sorts of reactions to it, from high praise, to disgust, to moral outrage.
The commercial features a brother and sister vying for the attention of the sweaty, opened-shirt pool boy in their backyard. As the two siblings fight to bring the man an ice-cold Coke first, the Italian song “Come Prima” plays in the background. Then, plot twist: by the time brother and sister get to the pool boy, they see that mommy has already swooped in for the kill and given the man a Coke.
“It’s a human story where Coca-Cola plays a key role in the development of the drama,” said the senior manager of global brand PR, Ali Brubaker.
“We are managing culturally relevant messages organically within our spots not as the main subject of the story but as sub-text,” added Brubaker.
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The LGBT crowd praised the commercial for its inclusion.
“Sibling rivalry never looked more inclusive,” said Out Magazine of the ad.
Pink News called the “very special gay twist” “brilliant.”
But others were less impressed. (H/T Fox News)
This isn’t the first time the mega brand has waded into LGBT advertising. In 2014, Coca Cola served up a Super Bowl ad featuring gay dads, earning the approval of GLAAD and other gay advocacy groups.