Iconic sunglasses manufacturer Ray-Ban has released an ad featuring a gay male couple holding hands under the tagline “Never Hide.”

The campaign, part of the company's 75th anniversary celebration, was released earlier this week.

In the ad, the men hold hands as they walk in the middle of a bustling 1940s metropolis and passersby look on disapprovingly.

“Nobody wants fake or temporary,” the company said, referring to the campaign. “Real trendsetters, real opinion leaders, real individuals believe the most fashionable thing you can be is yourself; to be authentic, real, bold and stylish. So to reclaim its rightful place as a legitimate leader in sunglasses, Ray-Ban has to only speak and act like their maverick selves. Never pretend. Never be afraid. Never give up. Never Hide.”

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay rights advocate, praised the ad in a blog post.

“Even in today's world where there are still many places where two men holding hands garners stares, this ad calls for LGBT people to never hide their love or their true identity.”