Santa finds love in heartwarming gay Christmas ad from Norway’s postal service
Posten's ad celebrates "being able to love whoever we want"
A new Christmas commercial from Posten, Norway’s postal service, is causing quite the stir (and more than a few tears) after putting Santa at the center of a gay love story.
The four-minute short film “When Harry Met Santa” opens on a gay man walking into his living room on Christmas Eve to find Santa delivering his presents.
They stare at one another, sparks evidently flying, before Santa vanishes back up the man’s chimney. That sets off an annual tradition of the pair sharing fleeting moments together, their chemistry and connection intensifying each year.
In one scene, Harry falls asleep on the sofa while waiting for Santa, who wakes him by saying, “You’re snoring.” They smile at one another before Santa pushes a present across the table, adding, “I’ll be back next year.”
They continue to delight in one another’s company, sharing magic tricks, laughing together, drinking coffee, and growing closer year by year. But Santa repeatedly affirms the fleeting nature of their coupling.
“I have a lot of presents to deliver. I’ll be back next year,” this time adding, “I’ll miss you.”
Santa wistfully notes that they have “one day each year” while Harry is shown sobbing in his room alone.
Harry eventually takes a cue from the Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey, and writes a letter to Santa declaring, “All I want for Christmas is you.”
On Christmas Eve, he impatiently waits for his date to arrive, only for a Posten driver to appear at the door with his gifts.
Instead, Santa is waiting in the living room, saying he “arranged some help this year, so I can be with you.”
The ad ends as the happy couple, finally able to spend quality time together, share a kiss. As the camera pans out, Posten workers are seen driving around Harry’s snowy village.
In addition to being a heartwarming and nontraditional way of telling a familiar Christmas tale, Posten’s ad has additional meaning.
A caption at the end of the film notes, “In 2022, Norway marks 50 years of being able to love whoever we want.”
The Scandinavian country decriminalized same-sex sexual relations in 1972, and less than a decade later, in 1981, became one of the first countries in the world to include sexual orientation in anti-discrimination laws.
Oda Rygh, communications manager at Norwegian LGBTQ rights organization FRI, applauded Posten’s ad in an interview with Kampajne.
“Christmas is for many of us a time we spend with those we love, and it is nice to see Posten show that love belongs to everyone, regardless of orientation, age, or whether you live at the North Pole,” Rygh said.
Monica Solberg, Posten’s marketing director, said that the company wanted to not only move away from more humorous Christmas ads from years past, but also celebrate the 50th anniversary of decriminalization with a “great love story.”
“This is a topic that affects many and is particularly relevant for next year, which is also Queer Cultural Year,” Solberg told Kampajne. “There will certainly be some negative reactions from some environments, but we are prepared to deal with that.”
She added: “The right to love who you want is a fundamental human right, and is not considered a political issue in free democratic societies in 2021. The post has linked people for 375 years, and will continue to do so regardless of their orientation or gender identity.”
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