Dive Brief:

• The 178-year-old American retailer that helped define wedding engagements in the U.S. (including the look of its iconic ring design, the pronged “Tiffany” setting), has for the first time produced an ad featuring a same-sex couple.

• The “Will you?” campaign features photos of the real-life New York couple, among several photos of various couples, each of whom the retailer says reflects just one of many possible "stories of love."

• Another shows a couple on their wedding day with a small child, a nod to families delaying marriage until after children or blended families.

Dive Insight:

Tiffany & Co. is not the first retailer to feature same-sex couples in its advertising — companies as diverse as Target and London Fog have beat them to that. But Tiffany's campaign is significant nevertheless because the retailer has helped define what engagements should look and feel like in America for a good part of its 178-year history. With these ads, the retailer is broadening that definition to be more inclusive.

While wedding cake bakers and photographers in some jurisdictions nationwide are fighting for the right not to cater to same-sex weddings, Tiffany with this campaign has pretty much declared that same-sex engagements are simply one kind of American love story. It's a progressive sentiment that also helps the retailer expand its reach.