Committed Advertising: Authentic Connection with the LGBTQ+ Community

In the last decade, we have seen a notable change in how brands approach advertising regarding the LGBTQ+ community. Companies are beginning to understand that their impact extends beyond sales, and they have the real ability to influence society and culture.

Because it’s not just a trend, but a responsibility: the LGBTQ+ community represents 14% of the Spanish population, and as active members of our society, we deserve the visibility that will contribute to ending discrimination.

Brands can help, and a lot, to generate that visibility. For LGBTQ+ individuals, seeing authentic and positive representations in advertising can be empowering. It can help us feel seen and valued, and can provide role models.

Similarly, when individuals outside the LGBTQ+ community see positive and diverse representations in advertising, it can foster greater acceptance and understanding.

In addition to the moral imperative, representing diversity in advertising can also align with business objectives. In today’s market, brands aim to form deeper, more meaningful connections with their audiences. Consumers, in turn, seek out brands that align with their values and demonstrate inclusivity and respect for all individuals.

A social change that has slowly made its way into advertising. Historically, LGBTQ+ representation in advertising was scarce (and often stereotyped), As societies have advanced in accepting LGBTQ+ individuals and securing rights like marriage equality and adoption, the representation of these communities in media has grown increasingly authentic and respectful.

Much more than a rainbow in the logo.

But what exactly does committed advertising entail? What factors should we consider to ensure our campaign or initiative is truly inclusive and avoids reinforcing stereotypes?

The key is to demonstrate a constant and genuine commitment to inclusion and respect for the LGBTQ+ community (and yes, that goes far beyond painting your company logo with a rainbow during Pride Month). Over 50% of consumers expect the companies they buy from to support causes that concern them, so they are looking for more action, advocacy, and continuous inclusion.

Therefore, there are five elements that we must take into account before carrying out any advertising action:

1. Authenticity. Campaigns must be genuine above all else. The LGBTQ+ community is particularly sensitive to attempts at rainbow washing, where brands use LGBTQ+ symbology only to benefit economically without a true commitment. This can damage the brand’s reputation and alienate LGBTQ+ consumers and their allies.

1. Information. Before launching a campaign, it is crucial that brands truly understand the LGBTQ+ community. In order for a message to be coherent, research must be carried out on the various identities and orientations within the community and understand the challenges they face.
2. Visibility and Representation. It is crucial to show diversity within the LGBTQ+ community. For this, it is important to represent different gender identities, sexual orientations, and life experiences.
3. Long-term commitment. Committed advertising is not just a one-month campaign. Brands must demonstrate continuous commitment through their actions and internal policies.
4. Support for LGBTQ+ causes: Beyond advertising, brands must actively support organisations and causes that benefit the LGBTQ+ community. This includes donating to LGBTQ+ organisations, creating a safe and welcoming work environment for employees who are part of the community and promoting inclusive policies throughout the year.

Committed Advertising put into practice: How is it done?

But, how is this put into practice? Fortunately, campaigns on the LGBTQ+ community offer us a lot of good examples that we can learn from and take as a reference: 

Hidden Flag – FELGTB.

In countries such as Russia, it is still forbidden to show the rainbow flag. Taking advantage of the framework of a sports event, a group of activists from the FELGTB found a clever way to make their colors visible. They used sports shirts of different colors, strategically placed, to form the LGBTQ+ flag and to walk it through all of Russia, challenging the prohibitions and giving visibility to the collective.

“She” – JB.

For people from the collective, especially the trans community, the acceptance of their families is fundamental. The Christmas campaign of JB precisely highlights this value through a touching gesture: a grandfather who shows his support for his granddaughter by putting on makeup just like her.

Every name’s a story – Starbucks.

Is there anything that a publicist likes more than an insight? Starbucks knew how to take advantage of one of its greatest insights (the name written on its cups) to create a campaign that addressed one of the greatest challenges for the LGBTQ+ collective: identity. The campaign focuses on how a trans boy can see his new name written on a Starbucks cup in total normality, conveying a simple yet powerful message.

TRUE NAME (Mastercard).

This campaign follows the same line as Starbucks, but adds a crucial plus for a person who has transitioned: obtaining their first official document with their real name. This document was a Mastercard card, through which we learned about different stories of trans people and the meaning that this gesture had for them.

The Wedding of Siri & Alexa – The first A.I. Marriage.

Although we enjoy the emotion and claim, this campaign also embraces humor by celebrating equal love between two of our favorite virtual assistants: Siri and Alexa. It is a plea for diversity, using artificial intelligence in an innovative way in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Diversity Hunger, a committed project over the years.

If we talk about committed campaigns, we could not miss ‘Diversity Hunger’, the project for which we have been creating a powerful diversity message alongside Domino’s Pizza for over 5 years.

• It all started in the Pride of 2019. We wanted to demonstrate that Domino’s is more than just a pizza brand, and that its flag is also diversity. An initial campaign, which focused on the power of choice, gave visibility to their competitors as well. We filled the streets and networks with messages promoting tolerance and diversity.

• After the impactful first year of Diversity Hunger in 2020, we wanted to reinforce this social initiative with a campaign with a lot of personality. We renamed our most iconic pizzas to special editions for Pride. And it wasn’t just a name change, for every order placed, 1€ was donated in favor of the rights of LGBTQ+ people to the COGAM Association.

• In 2021, we realised the amount of hate comments that are poured on social networks towards the LGBTQ+ community and we decided to transform them into donations for the LGTB State Federation. The streets were filled with posters, we made t-shirts and even an experiment. We organized a campaign on social media to transform hate into widespread love, bidding GOODBYE to negativity.

• In 2022, Diversity Hunger had become more than a project. That year we supported one of the most vulnerable groups: transgender people. For months, we featured photos of transgender models on our profiles unnoticed. On Trans Visibility Day, these individuals took center stage, helping us unveil the campaign through a manifesto video and interviews. This approach provided firsthand insights into their lives and fostered a broader understanding of the transgender community.

• In 2023, a year when family diversity was a central theme of Pride, we launched the ‘100% REAL DIVERSITY’ campaign. This campaign celebrated modern families by portraying them as royal families. Additionally, we organized a fundraising event on Instagram for the LGBTI Families Association, Galehi. Donors participating in this initiative had the opportunity to take home the campaign’s featured painting.

• This year, we will cap off our campaign by directly engaging with social media networks, revisiting one of the LGBTQ+ community’s most epic memes. We will present it in the form of a manifesto, continuing to broadcast our message of diversity and positioning Domino’s Pizza as a welcoming place for everyone. 

This is just the beginning.

Committed advertising with the LGBTQ+ community is more than a passing trend, it is a manifestation of change towards a more inclusive and diverse society. Brands that choose to follow this path have the opportunity and responsibility to make a real and positive difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

However, for these efforts to be truly effective, they must be authentic, well-researched, and supported by concrete actions. Brands must be willing to listen and learn from the LGBTQ+ community, and to reflect this learning in their campaigns and corporate culture.

Committed advertising not only benefits the LGBTQ+ community, but also enriches society as a whole by promoting acceptance, diversity, and mutual respect. By advancing on this path, brands can contribute to a fairer and more equitable world for all.