Ralph Lauren features same-sex couple in new ad campaign for the first time

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Ralph Lauren has unveiled a new advertising campaign that features a same-sex couple for the first time in the brands' 52-year history.

The video, titled “Family is who you love”, follows eight real families enjoying the classic Ralph Lauren all-American lifestyle, spending time together at home, at the park and on holidays at the beach, all while wearing Ralph Lauren clothes.

The campaign features a diverse range of families including a single-parent family, a family that spans multiple generations and gay couple, Helena Tejedor and Cecile Winckler.

Talking of the new campaign, Jonathan Bottomley, chief marketing officer at Ralph Lauren said in a statement: “We live in a world where the meaning of family is bigger, broader and more personal than it has ever been before.

“We believe that family is one of the most positive forces and powerful unifiers for all of us today,” he added, noting that the campaign is a “fresh expression of that idea.”

The same-sex couple toasted their modelling debut for the brand on Instagram.

Winckler shared a photo of herself and Tejedor from the spring campaign, writing: “Looks like @ralphlauren got us out of their closet!

"Cheers to being their first same sex couple.”

Tejedor posted the same image alongside a caption which read: “I don’t really know how this happened but @cecilion and I are the first same sex couple to ever feature in a Ralph Lauren campaign in the history of RL.”

Both the models and the brand were praised by the couple’s followers on social media, with many calling the campaign “amazing” and “beautiful”.

“Gay role models forever”, one person wrote.

Another added: “Love the video campaign too, so beautiful.”

The demand for representation within the LGBTQ community has seen more and more brands show their support for same-sex couples in their advertising.

In 2015, Calvin Klein’s fall campaign featured a same-sex couple for the first time with an image starring male models Reid Rohling and Ethan James Green.

The image featured on a prominent billboard on Houston Street in Soho, New York and was said to be a "sociological experiment turned fashion campaign".

It’s not just the fashion industry that’s taking note either, with brands like Ikea, Gap, Starbucks and Tiffany & Co. all making statements on inclusivity in recent years.