--- title: This Skype Ad Captures the Beauty of a Real Friendship description: Prepare to cry canonical: https://time.com/2912145/skypes-born-friends-ad-will-make-you-cry/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-06-23T16:49:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-01T08:57:37.138Z og:title: This Skype Ad Captures the Beauty of a Real Friendship og:description: Prepare to cry og:url: https://time.com/2912145/skypes-born-friends-ad-will-make-you-cry/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde7e472dfd2fc70b/698698c913c79f0099192c44/skype-girls-hed-2013_0.jpg?branch=production&width=652&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 652 og:image:height: 367 og:image:alt: skype-girls-hed-2013_0 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Skype Ad Captures the Beauty of a Real Friendship twitter:description: Prepare to cry twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde7e472dfd2fc70b/698698c913c79f0099192c44/skype-girls-hed-2013_0.jpg?branch=production&width=652&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch a Rare Friendship Unfold in This Emotional Ad for Skype > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=23a3fd4c-f11a-41fb-b175-41bab78e92de&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Born Friends Family Portrait - Skype Ad [Watch (HLS stream): The Born Friends Family Portrait - Skype Ad](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/lxK69ANg.m3u8) (3:06)  _Published 2014-06-23. The Born Friends Family Portrait - Skype Ad_  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Jun 23, 2014 4:49 PM UTC  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Jun 23, 2014 4:49 PM UTC One of the most honored ads at this year’s Cannes awards tells the true story of two girls who grew up with each other over Skype. It’s another in a spate of long-form narrative, [documentary-style spots ](http://creativity-online.com/work/comfort-the-day-i-visited-my-son/35945)that have become popular as the line between content and advertising continues to blur. The story goes like this: Sarah and Paige were both born with only one arm, and though they lived on opposite sides of the world, they helped and supported each other via Skype. The company eventually paid to help the two girls who virtually grew up together finally meet, and their first hug will have you in tears. “The moment that they meet, that wasn’t planned,” PJ Pereira, the creator of the ad, [told AdWeek](http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/story-behind-one-most-beautiful-real-moments-advertising-158478). “We didn’t know what was going to happen. The moment that one gets out of the van and they see each other, after talking for years and years and years, then they run up and hug each other. We were like: ‘Whoah, this is real. You can’t make this up.’ “That single moment told that entire story in four seconds in a way that no actor could have ever told it.” ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] I consider Paige like a long lost sister that I like never had, that I should have had. The crazy thing is, me and Paige have been close but we actually have never met. [ MUSIC ] Oh, this was the first time that I held Sera. My mom was pregnant with me and just found out that I had one arm at 20 weeks, I think. She wanted to find someone else, those experiencing the same thing. So she went on a website and found Theresa and Paige. When me and Sera were born, our parents were like sending nearly a dozen pictures to each other and stuff. So, they became close. And then, we kind of lost touch because Theresa had two more kids. When I was eight, I needed someone there that could understand everything about me and then I was like I wanna find Paige. My mum got an email from Himma, and apparently they had been looking for us for three years. We started emailing first, I asked her one day if she had Skype. What time is it for you? I think that- When I first saw Paige it was like I was seeing a mirrored image of me. When I saw Sarah, it was kind of like oh, this is how people see me. We'd talk about boys and life, and compare things. She doesn't really worry about what other people think about her. She can walk around happily in a short sleeve top. She helped me a lot, gave me a lot of confidence. There weren't less challenges after I met her, it's just that I wasn't going through. Charges alone anymore, and I could move the brush or run with my finger. And so I moved my finger. Yeah. I could tell Sarah things that I wouldn't be able to tell my friends. I trust her with my life. We have been so close for eight years 1000s of miles away from each other. We definitely wouldn't be very close if it wasn't for Skype, and how it's brought us together. Some best friends come and go. I feel like Paige, will always be my best friend no matter what. It's crazy that we've never met. We've always dreamed of it, but it's just never happened yet. I can't believe it. [ NOISE ] I don't think it's really sunk in. [ MUSIC ] I'm really nervous. It doesn't seem real. In five minutes it equals a gas. [ MUSIC ] [ NOISE ] You are so beautiful. I'm sorry. [ NOISE ] [ MUSIC ] Family of hugs. Perfect. I can't do that. I'm sure we will always find time for each other because, it's one of those friendships you don't find twice. We are like two needles in a haystack. That just found each other. 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