Doritos Mexico has launched a surprisingly touching ad for Mothers’ Day that features real kids from two-mom families reading letters of thanks to their mothers.
In the video, created by Slap Global, six youth read from a stage to their parents, thanking them for all that they have done to help raise and support them. They speak of universals like getting dinner on the table as well as experiences specific to those with same-sex parents. We also see the real-time reactions in the mothers’ eyes as they hear their children’s words. The video has been edited to string the voices together: One girl says, “And though only one of you had me in your belly,” and the scene cuts to a boy saying, “both of you did everything to have me.” It’s a neat trick to emphasize some of the universals of their experiences while also allowing for their individual voices.
Yes, it’s getting towards the time of year when lots of companies slap rainbows on their products—but this ad is part of Doritos Mexico’s #PrideAllYear campaign, which is intended to elevate LGBTQ stories all year long. The company has also released LGBTQ-themed ads before this year (as well as rainbow-colored Doritos to support the It Gets Better Project). Additionally, PepsiCo, Doritos’ corporate parent, is an HRC National Corporate Partner, meaning they’re putting money back into LGBTQ causes. They also get a perfect 100 on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index for inclusive policies and practices.
As with last year’s ad about a young gay man bringing his boyfriend home for the holidays for the first time, this new one is designed to hit viewers in the feels—and it works. Whether it makes you run off to buy a bag of cheesy chips is another question—but if it gets these stories in front of folks who might not otherwise see them and makes someone more supportive of all types of families, then I’ll consider it a force for good.
Watch below. In Spanish with English subtitles.
