Family with local ties part of national ad campaign for Honey Maid graham crackers

A family with ties to Southeast Missouri is part of a national ad campaign for Honey Maid graham crackers.

Georgia and Josh Hogan grew up in Cape Girardeau. They graduated from Cape Girardeau Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University together before moving to the Chicago area, where they raise their two sons, Henry, 11, and Rex, 8.

The entire Hogan family is featured in the ad, but the focus of the commercial is clearly on the two boys and their fraternal affection.

Georgia, Henry, Rex and Josh Hogan are featured in a national commercial for Honey Maid graham crackers.Submitted by Melissa Fortes of Weber Shandwick

“Sometimes all people see is that we have different skin colors,” Henry says in a voice-over.

As he speaks, pointing out their similarities — their parents, their last name, their distaste for “Mom’s music” — scenes play of Henry and his brother Rex laughing, running and eating together.

“I don’t use the word ‘adopted,’ because you’re not my adopted brother,” he says in the ad. “You’re just my little brother.”

The “Little Brother” commercial is part of the brand’s “This is Wholesome” campaign and is one of many ads showing families brought together by acceptance.

Other families featured in the latest campaign include that of a disabled veteran, a Hispanic same-sex couple and neighbors of different cultures, each sharing “their story of acceptance with the intent of inviting viewers to think about acceptance in their own lives,” according to a news release from Mondelez International, which owns the Honey Maid brand.

The Hogans got involved in the campaign when Honey Maid put out an open-casting call looking for families “built through birth and adoption,” Georgia Hogan said in an email. “The kids were super-excited to be chosen.”

Henry was not given a script when the 25-member crew arrived at their house to film the commercial.

“Those were his own words about his brother,” Hogan said.

The response to the ad has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly from the adoption community, Hogan said in an email, and her family is happy to be part of a campaign showcasing adoption in a positive light.

“We consider ourselves very lucky that we got to build our family through birth and adoption,” she said.

Georgia Hogan’s mother, Jerry, who now lives in Florida, used to own J Katherine Bridals in Cape Girardeau. Her father, Art Sobery, is deceased.

Josh’s mother, Ann Hogan, lives in Jackson, and his father, retired professor Michael Hogan, lives in Cape Girardeau.

The ad can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xcJaq9FUkI.

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