A new ad for the postal service in Norway portrays the story of a man falling in love with Santa over the years and ends with them kissing to celebrate the decriminalization of homosexuality in Norway.
The nearly four-minute long ad, entitled “When Harry Met Santa,” begins with a shirtless man wandering downstairs and discovering Santa dropping off gifts before vanishing up the chimney.
Throughout the ad it is apparent that the two become friends as they are seen sharing cups of tea, talking, and even feeding each other chocolate. At one point the man writes a letter to Santa saying, “All I want for Christmas is you.”
At another junction, Harry falls asleep on his couch and wakes up to Santa looking fondly at him telling him “You’re snoring,” before saying “I’ll be back next year.” The two also fashion Christmas tree ornaments for each other.
Apparently, the two are only able to meet up briefly once a year as Santa makes his annual toy run leading Harry to become increasingly sad and lonely.
At the end, a postal worker knocks on Harry’s door to drop off mail and wishes him a Merry Christmas. He walks back inside and finds Santa who tells him, “Well, I arranged some help this year, so I can be with you.”
Then taking a new twist on the song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” Harry and Santa proceed to kiss multiple times before zooming out to the words “In 2022, Norway marks 50 years of being able to love whoever we want.”
The ad, for Norway’s postal service “Posten” was celebrated by LGBT activists and the media.
“Posten is an inclusive workplace with great diversity, and we would like to celebrate the 50th anniversary with this fine love story,” Monica Solberg, Posten’s marketing director told LGBTQ Nation, “In addition to showing the flexibility of our services, we want to put it in a socially relevant setting, with themes that are important for the society around us and for us at Norway Post.”
She also claimed that the “right to love whoever you want” was a “fundamental human right” that shouldn’t be political, especially in democracies.
“Norway Post has connected people for 375 years, and will continue to do so regardless of orientation or gender identity,” Solberg continued.
The Guardian reported, “Heartwarming Christmas advert featuring Santa getting a boyfriend goes viral.” Adweek proclaimed, “Santa Is Gay in This Heartfelt Christmas Ad From the Norwegian Postal Service,” with subheading “Posten continues tradition of subverting classic festive tales.”
Controversial ads are not new for Posten, which in previous years has in one made Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, a mailman, and in another entitled “Make Christmas Great Again,” had an angry Santa supposed to be like former President Trump.
Ads have become increasingly more political with everything from candy bars to life insurance ads making not-so-subtle political messages.
Last month an ad for the U.K. based John Lewis Company, featured a young boy wearing makeup, jewelry, women’s shoes, and a dress he took from his mother’s closet causing mayhem in his house.
“These latest attempts by woke companies to normalize gender confusion and the destruction of innocence in young children is perversely wrong; indeed, it’s nothing short of child abuse,” Terry Schilling of the American Principles Project told The Daily Wire at the time.