A new online film from Coca-Cola Latin America again tackles friendship and loyalty while addressing the delicate subject of teen homosexuality. “El SMS” ("The Text") follows two teen boys – Rafael and Diego – as they trade friendly jabs, play video games and chat about girls in class, at soccer practice and while hanging out after school. Near the end of the touching 7-min. film, which was shot in Spanish and presented with English subtitles, Diego reads a surprising text on Rafael’s phone when he leaves the room to grab a few Cokes from the fridge. The message reveals Rafael is gay.

Watch "The Text" to see how Diego reacts to this discovery about his best friend:




 Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind Milk (2008), directed “The Text” and two other Coca-Cola films released earlier this year, “The Rumor” and “Something Unexpected”, which challenge teens to choose kindness and compassion over cruelty and consider the choices real friends make in “crossroads” moments.

Black, a passionate LGBT advocate, said "The Text" was perhaps the most personal of the films for him to direct. "I’m proud to have worked with Coca-Cola on their ‘Crossroads’ series of films because at their core, each helps demonstrate how choosing the path of compassion at crucial moments paves the way to true friendship and happiness,” he added. “As an artist, I feel I have a responsibility to share the stories of who LGBT people truly are in order to dispel any atmosphere of fear that might prevent LGBT people from sharing their lives openly.”

The #TrueFriendship campaign from San Francisco-based agency Pereira & O’Dell, which turned heads earlier this year by transforming Coke’s iconic ribbon into a fist bump, also includes digital, TV, mobile, print, radio, packaging and outdoor creative.