Sprite, a product of the Coca-Cola Company, has launched an ad campaign in Argentina (Sprite Argentina) that features the celebration of a gay-pride parade, and parents helping their sons and daughters cross-dress, apparently an endorsement of transgender expression.
Maxi Itzkoff, the creative director of this campaign, said the purpose of the ads is to test innovation and to target young people.
The campaign, created by the Argentinian marketing company Santo, #noestassolx (you are not alone), launched on Oct. 9 on Twitter for Sprite, a brand that is under Coca-Cola Co. and in partnership with Reddit, a social media platform and discussion website.
The first video advertisement for the campaign shows various teenagers and young adults typing statements such as, “I am 21 and I don't know what to do with my life,” while the song “You will Never Walk Alone” by Gerry & the Pacemakers plays in the background.
Among phrases in the video say, “I like both boys and girls” and “I am a man but I want to be a woman.” At the end of the video, those statements receive various responses from other people who are going through a similar experience.
See videos here.
“The value of a brand could be greater by creating real empathy with the youth, instead of going and selling them a Sprite,” Itzkoff said during a marketing festival. “We got out of the habitual marketing tone, and out of what we are supposed to do and we ran away from the target clichés.”
For the rest of the campaign, Sprite Argentina posted videos with statistics such as “we are 2,497,381 who were born in the wrong body.” The video ads always conclude by saying, “You are not alone, keep yourself fresh,” and are a clear endorsement of the LGBT lifestyle.
The video that has stirred the most comments on Twitter was one posted on Nov 1. It portrays young people getting ready for a gay-pride parade, and being helped by what seems to be their parents, who are adjusting their outfits and chest binders. Lastly two little girls paint a white heart on top of a gay-rainbow flag.
The video ends up with the statement, “Pride: what you feel when someone you love chooses to be happy.”
In addition to criticism from those who object to the LGBT agenda, most of the negative comments on Twitter seemed to come LGBT people who were not happy with the apparent lack of racial diversity in the campaign videos.