Coca-Cola Unveils Crown Jewel of Its 'Crossroads' Series on Teen Friendship

The bond between two teenage boys, one of whom is gay, is sensitively explored in the latest installment of Pereira & O'Dell's "Crossroads" campaign for Coca-Cola in Latin America.

Launched this spring, the "Crossroads" advertising challenges young people to choose kindness and compassion over cruelty, and asks them to consider what real friends would do in potentially difficult situations.

In "The Text," a seven-minute film directed by LGBT activist Dustin Lance Black (an Oscar winner for his script for the 2008 film Milk), we meet Rafael and Diego, two school pals who engage in lots of macho banter about sports and girls. As teenagers often do, they trade casual put-downs and goof around almost non-stop, whether in the classroom, at soccer practice or playing videogames. They're clearly long-time best friends, and the young actors give relaxed, winning performances that convey the depth of their relationship.