A recent J&B whisky ad titled “She,” is promoting trans acceptance and calling on families to support their trans relatives this holiday season.
The ad, created for J&B Whisky, depicts an older man experimenting with makeup. He starts slowly with lipstick and soon adds eyeshadow, blush, the works. Shots show him buying makeup palettes at the market, studying beauty ads with complex makeup looks at the bus stop, and giving himself a full face of makeup.
As he finally perfects his look, his family arrives for a holiday dinner. One of the relatives is his transitioning granddaughter. We soon discover that he was not applying the makeup for himself, but to help his granddaughter with her makeup when she arrived.
He gently pats blush onto her cheeks and carefully applies eyeliner before he escorts her back into the dining room where the family warmly greets her with happy tears in their eyes.
J&B released a statement about the love between a grandfather and his granddaughter, saying “The love that unites them is so great that it overcomes any prejudice or barrier that may separate them.”
This ad warms hearts as 2022 sets records for the number anti-transgender bills and laws proposed and enacted. J&B states their story seeks to be “a reflection of acceptance, respect, and above all tolerance.”
The ad ends with the granddaughter’s re-entrance to the room accompanied by her name “Ana,” across the screen. She is embraced by her family and they all feast together and sip on J&B whisky.
The whisky company’s Marketing Director for Southern Europe, Ursula Mejia-Melgar called the ad “one of the most beautiful projects of my career.”
“We want everyone to feel free to celebrate the holidays, giving visibility to a reality that thousands of people face, including the LGBTIQ+ collective, who seek a safe space to be and show themselves openly,” Mejia-Melgar added. “But also for families, who often also suffer the absence of those loved ones who, due to their gender identification or sexual preference, are not present at the parties.”
