By Sohini Sen
Advertising

Viral Now: Ad Council removes all labels from love

New PSA questions the implicit bias most of us have when it comes to love.

Sometimes even the most apparent thing comes as a surprise. And, when it leaves us with a warm, fuzzy feeling in our hearts, that's when we know there has been a connect. Ad Council's latest PSA has taken the social world by storm by challenging perceptions and labels.

The 'Love Has No Labels' campaign challenges and makes us accept our own personal bias. It starts with a reflection of two skeletons kissing each other behind a screen. When people emerge from behind the screen, it is revealed that they, in fact, are two women in love. The screen then flashes the message 'Love has no gender'. More skeletal reflections follow and more prejudices are broken - including those related to age, disability, race, gender and colour. The campaign ends with the core thought - 'Love Has No Labels'.

Viral Now: Ad Council removes all labels from love
This is what the video's YouTube page says: "While the vast majority of Americans consider themselves unprejudiced, many of us unintentionally make snap judgments about people based on what we see - whether it's race, age, gender, religion, sexuality or disability. This may be a significant reason many people in the US report that they feel discriminated against. Subconscious prejudice - called "implicit bias" - has profound implications on how we view and interact with others who are different from us. It can hinder a person's ability to find a job, secure a loan, rent an apartment, or get a fair trial, perpetuating disparities in American society. The 'Love Has No Labels' campaign challenges us to open our eyes to our bias and prejudice and work to stop it in ourselves, our friends, our families and our colleagues. Rethink your bias at lovehasnolabels.com."

The video received 3.5 million views in just one day.

The video invites people to go to the microsite lovehasnolabels.com where people can take quizzes to figure out if they have any implicit bias, without knowing it themselves. There are also personal stories from people who have been discriminated against. The site, more importantly, gives an answer as to how can one stop bias.

Have news to share? Write to us atnewsteam@afaqs.com
PSALove has no labels