Austin agency T3 launched a holiday spot for Allstate celebrating family and inclusivity, entitled “Here’s to Firsts.”
The spot, helmed by creative director Carolyn Connolly, documents a gay couple named Danny and Andrew, who a year ago suddenly got a phone call informing them they would be parents. They talk about how the year has flown by, full of firsts, and how they feel lucky to share a multi-generational family with their daughter, who is named after Danny’s grandfather and Andrew’s grandmother. “Within our lifetime, we’ve gotten married and had a child, and twenty years ago that wouldn’t have happened,” Danny says during a particularly tearful moment, adding that he wishes his daughter won’t face the same obstacles they did “just ones that will make her equally as strong.”
It’s a touching spot, definitely towards the sentimental side of the holiday ad equation but commendable for letting Danny and Andrew tell their story without seeming to pat itself on the back or needlessly emphasize their sexuality. “Here’s to Firsts” could have benefited from a bit tighter editing, however, as it feels a bit drawn out at two minutes when it could have accomplished the same thing in about half that time.