WestPac Bank, Start Asking

This commercial was introduced in 2012, before same-sex marriage became legal in New Zealand in August 2013, and while debate was underway.

In the ad of vignettes, a gay couple is shown getting engaged and the ad asks “will they?” as the proposal happens. As they get married the ad asks, “who says?”

The ad caused some controversy -- including that the bank was promoting something "illegal" and so the bank issued a statement saying, “With all the questions in the ad, we're are not expressing an opinion one way or the other but rather recognising they're things we all talk about – but it doesn’t extend to our personal finances."

The bank said it would recognize same-sex marriage in 2009.