Pride 2023: How brands like Tinder and Lime are showing support
This year has seen a rise in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment and legislation across the US, causing many brands to scale back their Pride celebrations. However, some brands remain unwavering in their support. Below, we highlight some of the top 2023 Pride campaigns unveiled thus far.
Verizon and The Old Gays created a '70s-style game show for Pride month / Credit: Verizon
The Old Gays compete in Visible by Verizon’s 70s-style game show
On the first day of Pride month, Visible (Verizon’s all-digital wireless service) has premiered its new Pride campaign and retro game show, ‘No Straight Answers.’ The show, which honors the 1970s – the decade in which Pride celebrations began – is hosted by Benito Skinner, known for his TikTok persona Benny Drama.
During the show, social media stars and queer activists the Old Gays go head-to-head in a spirited game that celebrates the individuals who paved the way for Pride to become what it is today. The campaign was developed and produced by creative collective Madwell.
Starting in June, Verizon’s Visible will launch its year-long support of Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders (SAGE), to help combat loneliness for LGBTQ+ elders by driving conversations between them and younger generations.
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Pride stickers help Tinder users come out & show solidarity
For Pride month, Tinder has today introduced five new profile stickers to give LGBTQ+ members and allies a way to celebrate and connect with each other. They include a ’My First Pride’ profile sticker to help the newest members of the community connect with one another, as well as four other Pride-themed profile badges: ’Came Out Online,’ ’Save Queer Spaces,’ ’Happy Pride’ and ‘Proud Ally.’ Beginning today, Tinder users will see an in-app notification inviting them to add the stickers to their profiles.
The campaign was created in response to a recent Tinder study that found that over half (54%) of LGBTQ+ identifying 18-25-year-olds said they came out on a dating app before they were out to friends and family. The LGBTQ+ community is also the fastest-growing on the app. The campaign was created internally by Team Tinder, which includes several LGBTQIA+ identifying members.
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Lime decks its electric vehicles out for Pride month
To help pedestrians ride with pride this month, Lime has today announced that its electric scooters and bikes are adorned with Pride flags. The festive vehicles can be found across the US in markets including Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Seattle, as well as internationally in Tel Aviv and London.
In each city, Lime will donate to and help support local LGBTQ+ organizations. The initiative was created entirely by Lime’s in-house creative team.
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Skittles commissions queer artists to design Pride packaging
Skittles, the brand famous for letting people taste the rainbow all year long, has today unveiled something especially colorful for Pride month: five unique packs of candy, each designed by different LGBTQ+ artists who use their art to increase visibility and advocate for others.
Each of the packs features QR codes that take fans to skittles.com/pride, where they can hear directly from the artists about their work and why queer stories matter. The limited-edition packs will be available from today until mid-July in four-ounce share size packs and 15.6-ounce stand-up pouches nationwide.
For the fourth year in a row, Skittles will donate $1 for every pack sold (up to $100,000) to Glaad in support of its ongoing efforts to combat anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. The campaign was created in partnership with creative agency Weber Shandwick.
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