The Body Shop, Remember Your First Kiss

This ad featuring a man warmly kissing another on his forehead and the headline, "Remember Your First Kiss," ran only as a poster in Toronto and Vancouver Body Shop stores during Valentine's Day.

While it only appeared in three locations, it is the first effort by the socially conscious Body Shop chain to include the gay community anywhere. The poster was accompanied by another that showed a biracial heterosexual couple, though that one ran in all 121 Body Shop stores in Canada.

"The Body Shop recognizes the diversity of its customers and is committed to communicating with them in new and different ways," said Laine Ferguson, executive VP of retail for Body Shop Canada. "Valentine's Day presents a great opportunity to recognize all healthy and loving relationships."

Tony Hamill, the company's communications manager, adds, "Much to our surprise, it didn't get the huge reception we'd expected, though we did get a lot of commentary on the male/female (biracial) one that it was lovely."

Hamilll said there is no indication whether the international corporation (based in England) may pick up the poster for use elsewhere or if the poster will be used again in Canada.