See the Hilarious Fake 'Gay Wedding' Tide Ad That Went Viral

Director Mark Nickelsburg Posted Spec Video on Facebook

Published On
Sep 17, 2015

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For advertising professionals, one of the beauties (or challenges) of social media is that sometimes a faux spot for a brand can go more viral than the genuine article.

This spec commercial for Tide, featuring a same-sex wedding, went viral after director Mark Nickelsburg of Tinygiant posted it on his personal Facebook page, surpassing one million views in less than 24 hours. It's a great concept: two men are about to walk into their wedding when they're stopped at the church door by an officious-looking woman who asks how they dare ruin the sanctity of marriage. The twist is that she's talking about the stain on the groom's white shirt, which she quickly removes with Tide to Go, before wishing them good luck with the wedding.

Great timing in that the spot appeared to be a nod to Kentucky clerk KIm Davis who has been in the headines for repeatedly refusing to grant same-sex couples marriage licenses. While some viewers mistook it for a genuine Tide spot, others pleaded with Tide owner P&G to take it on and air it.

"We were completely blindsided with the overwhelmingly positive response," said Nickelsburg in a statement. "It just goes to show how powerful comedy and short-form storytelling can be when you want to get a message across, online or on TV."