Stonewall kisses goodbye to hate

This new campaign from Ogilvy London for Stonewall, in partnership with the Gay Times, is a reminder that Christmas is a time to show your love, no matter who you give that love to. 

However, that’s not always straightforward for members of the LGBTQ+ community, as homophobic hate crimes are up 30% in London, and have reached an alarming 10-year high. Many LGBTQ+ couples are now afraid to hold hands or kiss in public, but to fight the hate with love, Stonewall has launched the Proud Mistletoe, the world’s first rainbow-coloured mistletoe.

This film, which also features an unexpected Christmas ballad from Joey Ramone, is directed by Luis Aguer through Rebolucion, and is a beautiful love letter to, well, love. The 105-second spot showcases the Proud Mistletoe, which was hung in public places where homophobic attacks can happen; pubs, parks, residential streets and takeaway shops. Then, couples from the community were invited to kiss underneath them, as a way to reclaim their spaces. 100 Proud Mistletoes will be given away via social media and, next Christmas, Stonewall plans to make them permanently available for all.

“We’re incredibly proud to be part of Stonewall’s first ever Christmas campaign," said Daniel Fisher, Global Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy. " It’s an important piece of work for our agency, which has always flexed our purpose muscle."

“This Christmas, everyone should be free to kiss in public," added Francesco Grandi, Global Creative Director at Ogilvy. "We hope this campaign inspires people to fight back with love, not hate. We’re proud to have revamped the mistletoe, a 300-year-old UK tradition, into a symbol for equal love. If this campaign prevents just one homophobic attack this holiday season, then we did our job.”