A wedding day is among the happiest moments in a person's life, a milestone to look back on for years to come—which makes it all the more strange that people are still denied the right just because they love someone of the same sex.
"Nobody's Memories," a new ad from FCB for LGBT advocacy group PFLAG Canada, imagines—and laments—the joys missed by couples unable to legally marry in years past. They're seen walking down the church steps to applause, piling into the wedding car, sharing a bite of cake at the reception, and the myriad other little images and traditions associated with the big day.
It's a simple, powerful illustration of why the right to gay marriage matters in societies that purport to pride themselves on ideals like freedom, equality and the pursuit of happiness. (The fact that whole thing looks like it was shot through various Instagram filters, much of it with shaky home-style hand cams, could border on distracting, but actually sets the right, intimate tone.)
Same-sex marriage is currently legal in Canada, as well as 36 states in the U.S., Washington, D.C., and some 15 other countries around the world. But with the U.S. Supreme Court currently hearing arguments on the constitutionality of other states' bans on the right, the spot certainly makes for a timely reminder of what's at stake.
And for anyone who's having trouble wrapping their head around it, it's also a good cue to remember that gay marriage, in fact, does not spell the end of the world.
CREDITS
Client: PFLAG Canada
Title: "Nobody's Memories"
Agency: FCB Toronto; FCB Chicago
Chief Creative Officer: Jon Flannery
Group Creative Director: Jeff Hilts
Writer: Krystle Mullin
Account Team: Cynthia Roach, Rebecca Gorveatt
Print Producer: Victor Carvalho
Media: Initiative Shannon Pluem, Ryan Ghaeli
Production Companies: Lord + Thomas; Duckpond Creative
Executive Producers: Katie Roach, Josh Greenberg
Line Producer: Carra Greenberg
Director: Ben Flaherty
Editing House: Lord + Thomas
Editor: Ilsa Misamore
Music House, Sound: RMW
Sound Engineer: Jason Ryan
Executive Audio Producer: Jared Stachowitz