This year’s Pride Month (June) marked the return of many live event campaigns designed to celebrate and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community after two quiet Pride seasons triggered by the pandemic. Timed to the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, which catalyzed the modern gay rights movement, Pride Month serves as a platform for brands to provide corporate support, and to help bring LGBTQ+ issues to mainstream audiences. Here’s a taste of the action.
CHAMBORD
Leveraging a “Dream in Color” theme and vivid footprint to match, Chambord took over a space at Miami’s Brickell City Centre every Saturday and Sunday during the month of June to connect with consumers and encourage them to support the LGBTQ+ community year-round. The events included hands-on Chambord mixology classes hosted by some of the queens from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” during which attendees learned how to make the brand’s rainbow-inspired “Queen in the Garden” cocktail in a drag show-like environment. There were also plenty of photo moments and opportunities to interact with the queens. Agency: Secret Sauce.
From the Pride Month Archives:
- Pride 2021: Brands from Skittles to Hulu Leverage Experiences to Support the LGBTQ+ Community
- How the Stoli Key West Cocktail Classic Supports the LGBTQ Community
JÄGERMEISTER
Jägermeister teamed up with The Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) to launch the Safe Spaces certification program during SIGBI’s annual Pride kickoff event at The Stonewall Inn on June 1. The certification will identify entertainment venues, F&B spots, retail stores and other locations as safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. The kickoff event featured performances by Baby Yors and Fletcher, and remarks from Amber Hikes, chief equity and inclusion officer for the ACLU. Also on the attendee list: SIGBI ceo Stacy Lentz; soccer stars Ashlyn Harris, Ali Krieger and Kristie Mewis; comedian Sam Jay; drag entertainer Yuhua Hamasaki; singer Melba Moore; and The Lesbian Bar Project co-directors Erica Rose and Elina Street. Agency: Civic Entertainment Group.
Photo credit: Sansho Scott/BFA.com
OGX BEAUTY
OGX’s consistent messaging around unapologetic self-expression aligns well with the LGBTQ+ community’s values, and its Pride activations have historically been centered on just that. This year was no exception as OGX took on the Governors Ball music festival and an owned pop-up event to mark Pride. At the Governors Ball, June 10-12 in New York City, OGX created a playfully nostalgic “Love Is In The House” activation that revived the ’90s and early aughts while encouraging attendees to celebrate their authentic selves and love their hair. Anchored by a vibrant, Y2K-inspired tiny house installation and an accompanying “yard,” the footprint showcased OGX’s products, personality and inclusive messaging, and inspired countless photos. Beyond lounging and snapping for social, attendees could have professionals style throwback hairdos with braids and butterfly clips. There were also plenty of old school props reminiscent of the era, a body crystal counter and QR codes that allowed attendees to shop OGX products.
To spread the love further, OGX partnered with Black non-binary artist Ggggrimes, who created a striking outdoor mural designed to celebrate the diversity of OGX fans and the brand’s continued commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community. In New York City’s trendy Noho neighborhood, the brand invited passersby to admire the artwork and snag a sweet treat from its branded ice cream cart. By scanning QR codes around the footprint and filling out an OGX hair quiz, consumers earned a free, custom ice cream by Milk & Cream. And on June 26, during New York’s official Pride celebrations, OGX hosted on-site hairstyling stations, also accessed by taking the hair quiz. All attendees received coupons on-site for OGX products. Agency: MKG.
SHOWTIME
To celebrate Pride and the season five premiere of its drama “The Chi,” Showtime hosted community influencer screenings in Los Angeles, New York City and Chicago in June, each with a unique focus and tastemaker type. Following each screening of the season’s first episode, the network hosted a panel conversation on topics including race, identity, LGBTQ+ challenges and storytelling.
The New York event, moderated by Crystal Anderson, was dubbed “The Chi x Pride: The importance of LGBTQ+ representation on television.” In L.A., the focus was on an industry audience and discussions around “The Chi’s” influence over the course of its four completed seasons. And the Chicago event centered on the impact the show has had on the local community and the importance of representing the city and its inhabitants accurately. Agency: Hillman & Grad.
Photo credit: LaQuann Dawson
TACO BELL
Taco Bell pulled out all the stops this year to celebrate Pride and LGBTQ+ culture with a Drag Brunch series hosted at a variety of its Cantinas, locations that serve alcohol and custom food menus. The tour, concepted by Live Más Pride, Taco Bell’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, kicked off in Las Vegas on May 1, then made its way to Cantinas in Chicago, Nashville and New York City before wrapping in Fort Lauderdale, FL, on June 26. The reservation-only events, which filled up within minutes, featured a glammed-up version of Taco Bell’s $5 Bell Breakfast Box, playful swag (think: flamboyant hand fans), Cinnabon Delights coffee and, naturally, plenty of mimosas. Mexican-American performer Kay Sedia (get it?) hosted the experiences, and performed lip syncs and dance moves along with a drag king and cast of other queens.
The Drag Brunches also included dedicated time during which attendees were offered information on how to get involved with the It Gets Better Project, a nonprofit that the Taco Bell Foundation is supporting with a grant to expand workforce readiness resources for LGBTQ+ youth around the world. Agency: Cyrano Rox.
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YAHOO
Like many brands, Yahoo is on a mission to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community beyond the month of June. So throughout the summer, the brand is hosting a series of Pride activations around the country designed to evoke joy and celebrate individuality. The campaign kicked off in Washington, DC, in June and will wrap at the end of August in San Jose, CA. Yahoo, which recently signed the HRC business statement opposing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, is inviting attendees at each stop to celebrate diversity and shine bright with a “Let’s Glow” theme.
The centerpiece of the experiences is the old-school Glow & Go human glitter “car wash,” which begins with “Power Washer” brand ambassadors dusting attendees in their pre-selected choice of body glitter design. Participants then move into the Turbo Dry Cycle, a large purple sequin wall offering a retro photo moment, complete with a fan station to simulate hair blowing in the wind. Attendees are also encouraged to pose with various props and signs, like “Buff & Shine,” and share on social, while showing off their new body art in the process.
Additional efforts this summer have included Yahoo’s $500,000 media donation, split between the National Center for Transgender Equality and GLSEN, a special Pride livestream featuring LGBTQ+ personalities and advocates, and the activation of the brand’s Pride Hub, which highlights LGBTQ+ stories and culture. Agency: Superfly (creative, strategy and execution for Glow & Go events).
TWITCH
The Outloud Raising Voices Music Festival was launched virtually in 2020 to support LGBTQ+ and underrepresented artists, and celebrate Pride year-round. In 2021, the series grew into a three-day music festival event livestreamed exclusively on Twitch, and broadcast live from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This year, the high-energy show was again livestreamed on Twitch, but broadcast from West Hollywood, June 3-5, as part of the city’s inaugural outdoor WEHO Pride Celebration. Attendees could catch performances by artists like Lil’ Kim and Years & Years on the main stage, listen to artist interviews in the Outloud Twitch Lounge, and groove at the dance arena. Craft cocktails and beer gardens, photo ops and surprise appearances were also part of the mix. Agency: JJLA (festival founder and producer).
