Concerning LGBT inclusions in Lebanese ads.

Fellow blogger Elie Fares was all hyped up that Crepaway was the first major Lebanese brand to include LGBT characters in their ads - the scene apparently happens in the TVC Crepaway issued for their 33rd anniversary. Truth be told I was not too convinced of Elie's analysis but I will let that one slide by, because even if he was right, the whole matter was previously talked about - albeit very, very smartly - by upscale youth retailer Aizone (kid brother of Aishti) and that was in 2005.
At the time Leo Burnett Beirut came up with a civic campaign to entice the youth to vote and participate actively in Lebanon's fate, first there was a beautiful TVC (with an obviously gay man applying eyeliner) and then among others, the ad above.
The smartness was to dress the models in colors that resembled the Lebanese political parties (orange for FPM, green for Lebanese Forces, blue for Future Movement....) but look deeper and you shall see it is about homosexuality and bisexuality and their acceptance. The body language in the ad whereas barely dissimulated was enough to get past censorship.
So there, Elie it's been done before!