MORE than sparkle: A bell hooks Reflection on Glo’s “ Feliz Navidad” Ad.

 MORE than sparkle: A bell hooks Reflection on Glo’s “ Feliz Navidad” Ad. 

When I first saw the Feliz Navidad Glo ad , I smiled. Its colorful, vibrant, and full of that joy holiday energy. It is the kind of advert you would expect this time of year- smiling faces, music, dancing and a message about staying connected during the festive season. On the surface, it feels warm and harmless. But when we take a closer look- really slow down and see it through the eyes of someone like bell hooks, the late feminist thinker and cultural critic -it becomes something deeper. It becomes a window into what we celebrate, who see, and who we often forget.

Bell hooks always asked us to question what we take for granted in the media. Her work wasn’t about attacking joy or celebration. It was about making sure everyone gets to be part of the story-and that we stop measuring worth by how closely someone fits a narrow standard for beauty in ads still leans toward lighter skin, straight hair, slim bodies, and Eurocentric features?

Where are the older women? Where are the women with darker skin, natural afros, or fuller bodies? Where are the people who don’t fit this carefully chosen mold?

Bells hooks talked a lot about the politics of visibility. Who gets to be seen matters. Because when someone is constantly absent from joyful spaces in media, especially festive ones like this, they start to feel like they don’t belong there at all.

The ad is called Feliz  Navidad- a Spanish phrase that means “ Merry Christmas”. It is catchy, yes and globally recognized. But in a Nigerian context, it also feels a bit imported.

Bells hooks was always clear that cultural imperialism- the dominance of western values and aesthetic – often sneaks in through subtle choices. When African brands lean on western languages, music or style, it can seem like we are saying our local cultures aren’t festive or beautiful enough on their own.

Imagine instead if the ad had drawn from Nigerian traditions- local languages, family settings or festive street celebrations we actually see in places like Enugu or Lagos. That kind of representation could feel so much richer and real.

Hooks would probably point out that when we mimic the western world’s version of celebration, we sometimes erase beauty of our own.

Even in a seemingly fun, neutral ad, bell hooks would encourage us to notice how women are positioned. Are they leading? Are they expressing different emotions? Or are they mostly smiling, dancing, and enhancing the scene?

In the Glo ad, women are very present, but mostly in decorative roles. They are there to be pretty, joyful, and supportive. They are not seen leading conversations or using Glo product in meaningful ways. They aren’t the problem-solvers or tech- users – they are the atmosphere.

Hooks criticized this kind of portrayal as emotional labor in disguise. Women are often expected to” perform joy”, to keep everyone feeling good, even when they are tired or excluded from power. And when ads only show women being happy, pretty, and helpful, they make it harder for us to imagine women as full human beings-with ambition, pain, curiosity and strength.

Of course, this is still an advertisement. It main job isn’t to tell the whole truth- its to sell a product. It is to sell a product. In this case, Glo wants us to feel like choosing their service is the path to joy and connection. That’s fair in theory. But hooks warned us not to confuse selling fantasy with representing reality.

The ad makes it look like happiness is something you buy- through data plans, good lighting, and perfect clothes. But real happiness, as hooks often reminded us is about love, belonging, truth, and justice.

So where is the mom using Glo to check in on her daughter in another state? Or the young man who relies on Glo’s affordable plans to run his side hustle? Where is teacher sending holiday messages to her students? These are the quiet, beautiful stories that don’t always make it into the spotlight- but they matter. They are real.

If bell hooks were in the creative room during the making of this ad, I think she would ask the team: who do you want to see themselves there ?

She would encourage them to widen the lens. To show different ages, body types, skin tones. To let women take center stage in more than just a visual way. She would suggest showing joy that isn’t just loud and shiny-but also soft, grounded, and deeply connected to everyday life.

A bell hooks-style and would not abandon glamour- but it would not make it price of visibility. It would remind people they are already enough.

You might wonder- why analyze a simple holiday commercial so deeply? Isn’t it just an ad?

That is exactly what makes it powerful.

Advertisement shape culture. They tell us who we would be. They create desires and dreams. If certain people are never shown celebrating, or winning, or resting, we start to believe they don’t deserve those things.

Bells hooks reminded us to that representation is a form of love. Seeing yourself- really seeing yourself- is a powerful thing. And seeing others in all their variety build emphathy, dignity, and shared humanity.

The Felz Navidad Glo ad is joyful, polished, and well- meaning. But like many media pieces, it reflects a narrow slice of life. It shows us who the holiday is “for” and unintentionally leaves others in the shadows.

Bells hooks would not ask us to cancel the ad- but grow from it. To keep asking better questions, telling broader stories, and letting more people be seen- not just as decorations, but as full participants in celebration, love and life.

Joy, after all, doesn’t not belong to the few. It belongs to everyone.

A close look of how Glo’s ad reflects society through a feminist.

Why its important to think about who’s left out of ADS like