If you haven’t been watching TV, or if you have the commercial-free version of Hulu, you might not have seen David’s Bridal’s new ad campaign for 2019, “Rewrite the Rules.” But if you haven’t, you really should. This ad is great, not just because it features lace and weddings and love, but because it is the first ad campaign in the company’s history to feature a lesbian couple. The 30-second clip alternates between different weddings, one with an interracial couple, one with a couple with their daughter joining in on the vows, and one with a lesbian couple at their reception, both in gorgeously unique gowns from David’s Bridal. The voiceover at the ends says “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. And, above all else, something you.
Watch below.
This ad is so important. It’s the first in the company’s history to feature a lesbian couple. Other businesses in the wedding industry have featured lesbian brides, such as Zales in 2016 or Tiffany and Co. in 2015. David’s Bridal follows suit with this ad that aims to promote diversity and encourage brides to be themselves. The company’s press release stated that it “illustrates [their] understanding of wedding evolution and how traditions are being redefined.”
From just a business standpoint, this paves the way for inclusivity in the wedding industry. As industry powerhouses launch these campaigns, other wedding businesses will follow. And if David’s Bridal generates incredible success off of this campaign, then other wedding businesses will really follow.
But this ad does so much more than make sure that businesses make more money by marketing to the LGBT+ community. It sends a message to those watching. To the little girls who never thought they could have a fairytale wedding because they’re gay, this ad says “yes, you can.” To the lesbian couple who feels excluded at heteronormative wedding planning events, this ad invites them in. To the parent struggling to accept their lesbian daughter, this ad shows that she can still take part in traditional events just like any other couple. To the person who still doesn’t think that gay people should get married, this ad might open their eyes. It shows that the LGBT+ community is just like everyone else. We’re just people who fall in love and want to have a special day to celebrate that commitment. We are not that different.