This New Chevrolet Ad Proves Corporate America Has Made Its Decision On Gay Marriage

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Chevrolet ad gay couple

YouTube/Chevrolet

New ads from Chevrolet showcase families with gay couples.

It's official: Corporate America supports gay marriage.

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In ads that ran Friday night during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, all-American car manufacturer Chevrolet spotlighted a melange of diverse, real-life families that included gay couples, interracial couples, and couples that were both same-sex and interracial.

The ads, made by Commonwealth Detroit, make Chevrolet the first brand to show a gay couple in an ad at the Olympics and the latest in a long line of major companies that have explicitly associated themselves with gay marriage in their advertising.

In sharp contrast to the anti-gay policies of the Olympics host country, Russia, the default setting for America's biggest corporations these days is one that accepts, if not promotes, gay marriage.

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Chevrolet's statement follows an outbreak of branded celebrations that occurred when the Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act this past June. The ruling forced overturned a law banning the federal government from recognize state-issued marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples, and was cheered by American institutions like Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Johnson & Johnson.

It's one thing for a relatively young West Coast tech operation like Microsoft to support gay marriage, and another thing entirely for Chevrolet, a paragon of American tradition located smack dab in the middle of the country.

The push by big brands to take a stand in favor of gay marriage comes at a time when young people increasingly want the companies whose products they buy to reflect their personal values. According to a recent study from Boston Consulting Group, 50% of Americans aged 18-24 said that the brands they buy reflect their values, with 48% of them saying they try to use brands that are active in supporting social causes.

For brands, supporting gay marriage offers an opportunity to appeal to these young people by taking a stand on an issue that remains controversial in the public arena, but has largely been decided among younger Americans.

A recent study from The Pew Research Center's Religion and Public Life Project finds an upward trend of American millennials who support gay marriage, with 66% of them declaring themselves in favor in a poll released this past June. At this point, taking a stance in opposition to gay marriage, as was done in 2012 by fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, is a far riskier move for brands than making a statement in support.

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The economic incentives for pro-gay advertising notwithstanding, brands like Chevrolet that integrate families with gay couples into their advertising can be credited with (or blamed for, depending on your perspective) helping to re-enforce the idea that gay families are normal, natural members of American society.