The Best Pride Month Campaigns from Successful Brands
With June getting closer, marketers should start considering their Pride Month ads and campaigns. It's not a time you'd want to miss. 69% of consumers want a brand to share and express their values. Capitalizing on Pride Month is a great opportunity to prove a brand's dedication to diversity and inclusivity.
However, slapping rainbow colors on your Instagram icon and calling it a day might do you more harm than good. 88% of customers say authenticity is important when choosing what brands to support. And while many members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies are hungry for representation and recognition, they are also sensitive to brands trying to earn a quick buck off them without backing up their claims.
Creating a marketing campaign for Pride Month that feels genuine and actually attracts your target audience is absolutely possible. Let's look at some recent Pride Month marketing campaigns for inspiration and discuss how you can go about your campaign if you work with digital products.
TOP 9 Best Pride Month Marketing Campaigns
59% of the consumers say they are more likely to buy from brands that conduct campaigns focused on diversity and supporting the queer community, women and minorities. 50% expect the brands they buy from to support the causes they care about – in action, not only in words. So, if your brand is dedicated to the values of inclusivity – the next Pride month is an excellent time to demonstrate it. How? Let's take a look at some Pride Month ads for your inspiration.
#1. LEGO’s “Everyone Is Awesome” campaign
First on our list of Pride Month brands that are doing it right is the award-winning LEGO campaign, launched in 2021. Instead of promoting their existing products with some rainbow colors slapped over them, they went all out. They created a series of figurines in the colors of the Progressive flag, celebrating both LGBTQ and POC inclusion. The campaign received an overwhelmingly positive reception from the LGBTQ community and allowed LEGO to gather some sweet user-generated content for their social media while they were at it.
Takeaway: developing a tailor-made product for diverse audiences is an excellent way to back up your words with actions.
#2. Starbucks #WhatsYourName Campaign
In 2019, Channel4 research identified that in ads, LGBT+ people are the most underrepresented and stereotyped. Trans people, for example, are featured in 0.3% of ads, while the community constitutes roughly 1% of the population. Starbucks set out to rectify that. Its #WhatsYourName campaign is another example of an ad well-received by its TA.
Amid the increasing attacks on trans rights from conservative politicians, this Pride Month brand ad focused on the importance of identity and recognition for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. By highlighting the simple act of using a person's chosen name on a coffee cup, the campaign resonated deeply within the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond.
The initiative was complemented by Starbucks' announcement of their support for transgender employees in covering gender-affirmation procedures and their cooperation with the charity organization Mermaids, working with queer youth. The personal, empathetic approach demonstrated the brand's dedication to inclusivity.
Takeaway: emphasizing personal identity and support for both employees and customers showcases a genuine commitment to diversity and inclusivity. If you want to build a truly inclusive community, learn more about your audience. With Claspo, you can add custom input fields to your subscription widget or conduct surveys among site visitors. For example, you can ask them to indicate their gender, thoughtfully adding a non-binary or "other" response option, or invite them to specify their pronouns to personalize future communications.
And if you want to follow Starbucks' example and create a special video for your YouTube channel, distribute it on your website. Claspo makes it possible to add YouTube videos directly to your widget. This widget can catch visitors' attention and redirect them to a particular page about your values or your partnerships with NGOs.
#3. Levi’s – How do you show up?
Levi's ad does a fantastic job of communicating the brand values through storytelling. Instead of promoting the brand, the ad focuses on LGBTQ people from around the world and their expressions and struggles. The content and the form – "amateur" shooting with strong retro vibes – bring the brand closer to the audience and strengthen the sense of community.
Takeaway: talk to real people and try to center their stories; sometimes, you need to move away from polished production.
#4. The North Face's "Summer of Pride"
Next on the list of Pride Month Ads we should talk about is the North Face. In 2023, the North Face partnered with Drag Queen Pattie Gonia for the second time to ask their audience to come out – to nature. Bright, colorful presentation, characteristic of drag culture, speaks to the audience's tastes. Platforming a member of the queer community and giving them an opportunity to influence the creative process also boosts trust in the brand. Using TikTok as a platform for the ad laser-focuses the brand's efforts on its Millenial and Gen Z audiences. And while viewership of the video was average for the brand's TikTok, comments, saves and shares far exceeded their normal numbers.
Takeaway: hire LGBTQIA+ people and listen to their creative voices. Consider the communication platforms and channels on which you market the brand, as they have specific content and audience requirements.
If you are actively building a community on social media (which is always a good idea), you can promote them with Claspo's widgets for your website. You can either use a separate one to lead traffic to your social media or add custom icons to any other widgets you launch.
#5. Apple's Apple Watch Pride Bands and Faces
Apple has produced thematic Pride watch bands since 2018. This consistency is one of the factors that has allowed the brand to gather positive clout. The consumers, on the one hand, keep expecting these releases; on the other, they prove the brand's dedication to the Pride Month values. Moreover, except for the band, which obviously costs an additional buck, Apple allows users to download interface skins for free, increasing brand loyalty among consumers on a tighter budget.
Takeaway: The watch band’s practical nature allows it to extend beyond Pride Month into consumers' daily lives, proving it's not a fad for Apple.
If you want to promote a product created for Pride Month, use Claspo's capabilities. A customizable widget can emphasize that this product belongs to a limited series and urge visitors to buy it before you run out of stock. Or, with a countdown timer, you can show the limited-time discounts for a Pride collection. You can't help but vibe with this pop-up!
#6. Nike's "Be True" Collection
Nike annually releases its "Be True" collection, celebrating Pride Month with specially designed footwear, apparel, and accessories featuring the Pride flag colors. Beyond the products, Nike's campaign stories focus on athletes from the LGBTQIA+ community, sharing their journeys and struggles. This blend of product design with real-life stories underlines Nike's long-standing support for equality and inclusivity in sports and society.
Takeaway: integrating the community's stories with product releases highlights a brand's long-term commitment to inclusivity.
#7. Oreo's #ProudParent Campaign
Oreo's #ProudParent Pride Month brand campaign was a touching short film about a lesbian couple introducing each other to their families. The narrative focused on acceptance, love, and the importance of family support, reflecting the brand's stance on LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. Accompanied by a limited edition rainbow Oreo pack, the campaign encouraged people to share their own stories. So, apart from direct promotion, Oreo provided itself with a lot of user-generated content, strengthening the community around the brand and brand loyalty.
Takeaway: storytelling that reflects real-life experiences can create an emotional connection, amplifying the campaign's impact.
#8. Spotify's "Free to Be" Campaign
Moving to the digital sphere, let's talk about Spotify. In January 2023, it launched the GLOW platform, amplifying the voices and music of LGBTQIA+ creators. For Pride Month, Spotify boosted this platform by creating playlists specific to local markets (for example, Poland, Ireland, and 24 other countries) in addition to the flagship playlist.
Takeaway: it's another great example of amplifying queer voices (both literally and figuratively) throughout the year. It increases trust in the brand's authenticity (and saves the effort of launching a product from scratch for only one month).
#9. Squarespace Pride 2021 Campaign
Another relevant example from the digital realm is Squarespace. The website builder launched a separate landing page to highlight the stories of its LGBTQIA+ users and created Instagram filters anyone can play around with. Bright, colorful, and eye-catching, the Pride 2021 website is a great way to attract potential new users, as the builder's target audience is predominantly creatives. The design itself is an excellent illustration of the platform's capabilities.
Takeaway: emphasizing the voices of existing customers and combining them with an informative demonstration of your product is a great way to boost your credibility. You don't need to create a separate landing page – some design elements and informational pop-up windows might work just as well.
Claspo's Pride Month Ideas
Most of the campaigns we've mentioned come from big companies with budgets for high-end promotions. If you're working with a small business that still wants to demonstrate its dedication to inclusive values, you might struggle to apply these ideas yourself. So, let's explore Pride Month campaign ideas and formats that you can fulfill in the digital space (with a bit of help from Claspo, of course, to make your Pride Month ads shine).
#1. Spotlight stories from the community
Feature stories of LGBTQIA+ individuals, allies, and activists on your website. These could include interviews, success stories, and personal journeys that highlight the diversity and resilience of the community. If you have LGBTQIA+ employees and colleagues who are open about their identity, featuring their profiles or brief interviews can prove your dedication to inclusive hiring practices.
If you're not sure how to go about it technically, Claspo can help you in several ways. For example, pop-ups can lead your visitors to a page dedicated to said stories or interviews. Alternatively, employ our slider to add a gallery with your employees' photos and/or quotes or reviews about your inclusive hiring practices. The choice is yours!
#2. Pride Month educational campaign
Share educational content about LGBTQ+ history, terminology, and current issues on your website or social media platforms. This can help raise awareness and promote understanding.
You can use Claspo widgets to redirect users to the dedicated blog articles or landing pages and invite them to share your content.
#3. Offer discounts
You can offer discounts or special promotions on select products or services throughout Pride Month. This drives sales and shows your commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community. You could even go further and donate some of your revenues to the NGOs or community centers that help LGBTQIA+ people.
Claspo's experience proves that a well-designed pop-up can boost discounted product sales by as much as 19%. Adding Progressive Flag colors to its design might be a pleasant and discreet touch. With our widgets, you can also inform your visitors that by buying a specific product or service, they are also contributing to a good cause.
#4. Collaborate with LGBTQ+ artists or businesses
Partner with local LGBTQ+ artists, designers, or businesses to co-create products or services. This not only supports the community but also fosters collaboration and diversity. If you're tight on budget, you don't necessarily have to go for big celebrities or influencers. Research the local market and offer a mutually beneficial arrangement to a blogger or a queer-owned small business.
With Claspo, you can promote the initiative and refer your visitors to your partner's website.
#5. Donations and charity participation
For a Pride Month brand ad, you can collaborate with LGBTQIA+ charities and organizations to set up donation drives. Depending on your niche, you can pledge part of your product's proceeds to charities. Otherwise, you can ask your users to participate.
Once upon a time, Claspo created a multi-language widget specially to support a project with donations. Now, this feature is also available for you, even in our free plan! Just set up your widget to switch the language based on users’ browser language or the one they choose on your website.
This way, if you have an international audience, you can make them feel included in your efforts. An unobtrusive pop-up or widget can help you promote your initiative and prove your commitment to social initiatives and ethical business practices.
As you can see, we created a series of templates dedicated to Pride Month. So, even if you're a small business owner and not exceptionally tech-savvy, it's easier than ever to sprinkle some rainbow cheer on your website. But even more! Your choice is not limited by the options suggested above. You can easily turn any template from our library into a Pride month-themed widget! With our intuitive editor, it will take only a few minutes! Don't believe it? Try out our free plan and see for yourself!
In the end, celebrating Pride Month as a brand is about more than just a show of colors; it's a commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and genuine support for the LGBTQIA+ community. By thoughtfully employing the strategies and ideas discussed, you can create campaigns that resonate with your audience, celebrate the spirit of Pride, and reinforce your brand's dedication to making a positive impact.
