A Doritos advert in Mexico featuring a ghostly same-sex couple has gone viral. The advert has been timed to coincide with the country’s Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) celebrations.
Día de los Muertos takes place just after Halloween, on November 1-2. It marks a time when Mexican people celebrate their departed loved ones. They visit their graves and create small altars—or ofrenda— with photos, in their memory.
The Doritos advert first aired on October 22 and has now racked up almost 3million views on YouTube.
In it, a family can be seen approaching one such ofrenda in a cemetery. An older woman places what appears to be a bowl of Doritos on the shrine, looks at the photo of the man upon the altar and says, in Spanish, “Dearest brother, I miss you so much.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Blue vapors then swirl around the altar and an apparition of her dead brother–Alberto–appears, to the shock of the family.
“Hello, family,” says a slightly skeleton-looking Uncle Alberto. “How is everyone?”
He takes his hat off, and another man appears behind him, confusing the family.
“Who is he?” asks one of the family members.
“He’s Mario,” Uncle Alberto tells them, “my partner.” The two men hold hands and smile.
There is a pause as the family absorbs the news. Then the old woman smiles and claps her hands, saying, “What a miracle! I thought you would be alone forever.”
The two dead men hug, and the family smile.
It cuts to a caption at the end saying, in Spanish, “It’s never late to be who you are.”
Related: Young boy in makeup wrecks family home dancing to Stevie Nicks in new insurance ad
Many people online have said the advert made them cry. One commentator on YouTube prompted thousands of likes by saying the advert reminded them of a situation in their own family.
“I had a cousin who died being in the closet. Only I knew that he was gay because of the closeness we had. The fact of knowing that on the other side he is there, possibly with his partner (who also died last year from COVID) makes me happy.”
Others have questioned the advert for showing a queer couple who only came out after dying.
In a statement to the Advocate, a Doritos spokesperson said: “In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is a celebration of life. It’s a moment to share our respect, love, and unity for all the people we cherish, even if they are gone.
“And it’s an opportunity for Doritos Mexico to celebrate love and our commitment to the LGBTQ+ community every day. With the commercial ‘It’s never late to be who you are,’ we want to say that it’s never too late to share your true self, and when you are ready, we will support you.”
Related: Heartwarming new Doritos ad is about a dad accepting his gay son
This is not the first time Doritos has shown support for LGBTQ people. Back in 2015, it produced a limited-edition rainbow color chip to mark Pride season in the US. Earlier this year, it created another advert in Mexico that showed a dad accepting his gay son. You can watch it below.
JTex
Listen, ya’ll really get me with this #OrgulloTodoElAño stuff. Really lovely to see a company holding the flag outside of June and putting their money where their Pride-month-mouth is.
Agility
<3
fpcinnyc
I never thought that a Doritos ad could make me cry but this one did.