Subtle gay pride apparel brands
Since then, these products have secured the company’s share of voice in the conversation around Pride, with its loyal fan base repeatedly publicising the watches on social channels.
We analysed 2139 articles published in top-tier English-language outlets between 1 May-24 June to find which brands stood out with their Pride-related marketing efforts.Īpple, one of the few global companies whose CEO is openly gay, began annually releasing new Pride-themed bands and watch faces in 2017. However, many brands still poured resources into Pride initiatives and took up the challenge to engage with consumers even in these unusual circumstances. Moreover, the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis made brands cut their marketing spending: according to research from the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), 89% of large multinational companies deferred marketing campaigns in May, up from 81% in March, while 52% of marketers said they’ll now hold back ad spend for six months or more. Most Pride organisers have tried to bring the spirit and mission of the celebration to online platforms: for example, InterPride, the overseeing body for World Pride, co-produced an international virtual event called Global Pride with content, performances and speeches for each timezone.īut, as digital events naturally don’t have the same appeal as the traditional live festivities, Pride’s corporate side was more tempered. In fact, many commentators argue that such corporate initiatives have played a positive role in “normalising” LGBTQ+ culture, even though some companies have faced accusations of “pinkwashing”.īut with lockdown measures still in place around the world, Pride-goers won’t be able to properly celebrate the anniversary as large gatherings in key cities like New York and San Francisco, along with around 1,500 Pride events globally, have been cancelled for the first time in history. For these 50 years, Pride Month has become a powerful economic engine, with big brands investing heavily in sponsorships, ads and merchandise to express their support for the LGBTQ+ community and to win over new consumers.
This year marks Pride’s golden jubilee: it’s been 50 years since the inaugural Pride parade in 1970. Our research also revealed that Skittles’ “Give the Rainbow” campaign, which involved colourless limited-edition “Pride Pack” candy bags, overshadowеd others on social media.Analysing the media discussion around the celebration, we found that Apple, Netflix, Disney and Nike were the companies whose Pride campaigns got the most traction.With this year’s Pride celebrated primarily online, many brands invested in creative and provocative ways to showcase their support for the LGBTQ+ community.