Say goodbye to ad after ad centred on the nuclear family and say hello to queer commercials full of diverse families and increased representation! Well…almost. There is plenty more need for queer inclusive ads and we’re still demanding that more brands put representation as a priority.

To celebrate the brands that have, however, we’ve compiled five major queer commercials of 2021 for your scrolling delight.

CarGurus 

Have you seen what is being hailed as the gayest commercial of 2021? CarGurus, an automotive research and shipping website that compares listings for cars, put out this wonderfully gay commercial called We Need Space. It features a gay man and his cute and concerned partner and their misunderstanding of car purchasing lingo.

A commercial that normalises a gay couple’s relationship through humour? Yes, please!

NFL

In this short but punchy ad, the NFL declares its support for The Trevor Project, a non-profit dedicated to suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth. Up against the black background, the advertisement starts off with the statement “Football is gay”, and continues with words like “queer”, “Transgender”, and “tough” to follow in suit. The timing of the commercial followed the Las Vegas Raiders player Carl Nassib coming out as gay.

Orbitz

https://youtu.be/F_gcF1Hg1oc

In this feel-good advertisement Travel As You Are made to the soundtrack of Serpentwithfeet’s iconic cover of ‘You Don’t Own Me’, Orbitz, the travel metasearch engine, makes us swoon once again.

Orbitz is the first travel company to launch a dedicated LGBTQ+ microsite and the first major US travel brand to launch advertising campaigns featuring openly gay couples and drag personalities. Not only do they advocate for inclusion and diversity in travel, but they have a track record to prove their active allyship with the LGBQ+ community.

Doritos 

https://youtu.be/maJ-3b7Ti2I

We’re not crying you are… Doritos released this heart-melting commercial for Día de Los Muertos, the holiday where Mexican and Latin American communities honour their deceased loved ones. In this ad, the beloved Uncle Alberto’s spirit comes out as gay to all of his living family. After a moment of silence, the family rejoices as the commercial concludes, “It’s never too late to be your true self,” with the hashtag #PrideAllYear.

eHarmony

In its latest rebranding, eHarmony has made efforts to become more queer-friendly. The ad, I Scream, is a part of the dating site’s Real Love campaign that is an effort to shift the company from its conservative origins. The commercial is just the right amount of sensual and sweet as a female couple kisses and shares a pint of ice cream in a cosy home.

Representation matters, so here’s to hoping that commercials in 2022 bring even more queer cuteness to our screens.