Reality Labs

Share Something Real: Portal ad campaign embraces the messiness of modern life

June 7, 2021

The past year redefined our relationship with technology and the ways that we connect with each other. Video calling spiked as millions embraced it to stay in touch with those who matter most. Portal from Facebook became a tool that many embraced to have real conversations and feel truly present. More than a video calling device, Portal is a bridge between people. It’s where real life happens. And today, we’re celebrating the moments — joyful, poignant, or even even difficult — that are shared when true connections are made.

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Today, Portal is launching Share Something Real, a new brand campaign that highlights the power of real conversations that happen when you forget about the technology and feel truly present — like you’re in the same room with another person. That’s the magic of Portal and this new campaign aims to spotlight the real, authentic and emotional moments that spark when real connection is possible — regardless of distance.

To bring the vision to life, we teamed up with Darius Marder, writer and director of the Academy Award-winning film Sound of Metal. The campaign takes viewers on a cinematic journey that showcases emotional, funny, messy, and honest ways we connect with loved ones at a distance on topics that touch on diversity, accessibility, family planning, and more.

“What Portal really brings to the forefront is the complexity and importance of human connection,” says Marder of the partnership. “I see human beings in all their rawness sharing their experiences and emotions. Happy moments, bittersweet, cathartic ones and everything in-between. Authenticity cannot be manufactured. This concept relied on our ability to create and nurture environments for life to happen and for genuine connection to occur. That’s where we find authenticity.”

In Coming Out, we see an adult son reacting to the revelation of his dad’s sexuality. Sisters shows a woman trying on jewelry in preparation for a first date as her sister shares her opinion — all in American Sign Language. And Conceiving centers on a man as he confides in his older brother and shares his family’s struggle with infertility. Each video digs into real conversations, in all their rawness, featuring people working together to connect and better understand each other, all through their Portal devices.

The technology and hardware we build across Facebook Reality Labs removes barriers so people can connect with family, friends, and colleagues in authentic, immersive ways. Physical distance shouldn’t limit our ability to connect with each other, and the technology should fade into the background — letting us feel like we’re in the same room even when we’re miles apart.

In addition to the new campaign, we’re updating the branding from “Portal from Facebook” to “Facebook Portal.” FRL hardware devices, including Portal, increasingly feature Facebook services and offerings — and we think it’s important people understand this when they buy these products. For example, you can join Messenger Rooms, make Messenger and WhatsApp video calls, and go live with Facebook Live from Portal. To make this more clear, we’re transitioning Portal from Facebook to Facebook Portal. You’ll see these changes roll out slowly across our web presence, packaging, and more.

To learn more about Portal, visit portal.facebook.com.

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