Dallas Bar Lee Harvey’s Backs Away from “He Gets Us” Super Bowl Ad

Earlier this week we reported on local bar Lee Harvey’s cameo in a Super Bowl ad. The “Know Your Neighbor” commercial included an image of a man sitting in a bar, smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer at the dive bar. This 30-second commercial for the Christian nonprofit He Gets Us ran during the second half of the game.

That evening, Lee Harvey’s shared news of the cameo on its Facebook page, along with a link to He Gets Us and a photo from the commercial. The Cedars neighborhood bar even changed its profile picture to the man sitting at the bar.

Many called out Lee Harvey’s for the, at best, odd alliance.

He Gets Us also ran Super Bowl commercials in 2023, spending around $100 million on two ads, which drew some attention. He Gets Us was at the time backed by The Signatry, which was supported by billionaire Hobby Lobby founder David Green, who has taken hardline religious stances. He opposed giving employees contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act and carried the case to the Supreme Court, ultimately winning. He also opposed providing a transgender bathroom for employees.

Not exactly the kind of guy who would hang at Lee Harvey’s, right?

The comments poured in, with the sides split. Some praised Lee Harvey’s or were just happy for the small bar to get some air time. Others pointed out that The Signatry also gave $50 million to a group that endorsed criminalizing homosexuality, one that was named an anti-LGBTQ hate group by The Southern Poverty Law Center.

Dallas-based Lerma is the ad agency for He Gets Us, which might explain the local tie. 

This year, through its website, He Gets Us backs away from the anti-LGBTQ ties, noting that it is now funded by the newly formed nonprofit Come Near and “(…) let us be clear in our opinion. Jesus loves gay people and Jesus loves trans people.”

Yesterday, Lee Harvey’s backed away also, changing its profile photo back to the old worn-out sign out front and posting a note that they love everybody and had no idea what the ad was for.