The Human Rights Campaign and VMLY&R’s award-winning ‘Reality Flag’ uncovered
The Human Rights Campaign and VMLY&R won the Most Effective Integrated Marketing Campaign award at The Drum Awards for Digital Industries 2022 for ‘The reality flag: A symbol exposing the missing freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans.’ Here, we unpack this victorious campaign.
‘The reality flag: A symbol exposing the missing freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans’ / Credit: Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ political lobbying organization in the United States, partnered with global creative agency VMLY&R on a political campaign that would put the oppression millions of Americans front-and-center. Their mission was to educate others and compel them to take a stand.
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The brief
According to the ‘Reality flag‘ website, basic freedoms, like the right to rent a home or the ability to receive public goods and services, are not provided to millions of LGBTQ+ Americans living in 29 states. This reality persists seven years after the Marriage Equality Act was passed.
The Human Rights campaign sought to change this through a campaign that promotes the passing of The Equality Act, which would ensure basic freedoms and protections for every American in every state. Working with VMLY&R, the campaign would be known as ‘The reality flag: A symbol exposing the missing freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans.’
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The idea
In 60 seconds, VMLY&R elucidates the issue at hand through the lens of the people it immediately affects. These people hold an American flag with only half of the stars intact, signifying that only a portion of the country‘s population benefit from its freedoms.
By the end of the spot, several LGBTQ+ people hold the flag. They gaze directly at the viewer, creating a statement so bold that it commands its audience to face the situation head-on.
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The results
The campaign was a shining success in many ways. On November 30 of this year, the Senate passed the Marriage Equality Act in a bipartisan vote, federally protecting both same-sex and interracial marriages.
This campaign won at The Drum Awards for the Digital Industries 2022. You can see all the winners here. The Drum Awards for Marketing are currently open for entry. Find out how you can enter now.
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