Real-life sweethearts share their love stories for a chance to win $5,000
We’re massive consumers of gay love stories. We’re absolute suckers for them. That’s why we feature real LGBTQ weddings on the daily. So when we saw The Advocate’s story about Sweethearts Candy running a Share your Love Story contest, we had to share!
Not only that, their ad for the contest features Texans Jack and George, an older gay couple who we’re positively in love with. Now in their 80s, the gentlemen have been “sweethearts” for 55 years. They wed in 2015, shortly after the landmark Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage. This year marks the first Valentine’s Day they’ll be able to celebrate as a legally married couple. The video below is their sweet story. Share yours at shareyoursweetstory.com for a chance to win $5,000.
Adweek Magazine offered more insight into the branding campaign’s inclusivity to include a gay couple:
Candy maker Necco is expanding the definition of “sweetheart” to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its heart-shaped confections stamped with messages of love and affection. A new campaign from Hill Holliday seeks to give the brand a modern makeover by plugging into social themes, including marriage equality. That’s a novel approach for the confectionery category and a new recipe for this historically conservative marketer, which produces some 2.5 billion—yes, that’s billion—of the candies each year.
“Our communities are becoming bigger and more connected,” said Necco CEO Michael McGee. “For a brand, that means traditional, one-sided communication is not enough. You have to find ways to help consumers participate with your brand and have your conversation become interactive.”
