Marketing industry watchers agree authenticity matters and that Pride month campaigns can serve a positive purpose, but there needs to be substance behind them. Annabelle says monetary donations will be made to Rainbow Railroad, an organization that helps LGBTQ people escape violence and persecution in their home countries. Gender is working with Canadian cosmetics company Annabelle on a Pride collection and campaign this year. “I do, however, (have) an issue when (sponsorships are) inauthentic.” “I think that sponsorships from mega companies can often be beneficial to queer creators, and financial backing in that regard can often propel us to the next level,” dragperformer Kendall Gender says. Horner is not alone in finding the issue nuanced. He believes there is value in marketing and advertising campaigns during Pride month, especially if there is nuance, noting that the visibility isparticularlyhelpfulfor individuals who might live in rural areas, feel alone or aren't entirely comfortable with who they are yet. “When companies try to push their own agenda while including the community, those are the (campaigns) that make me mad,” says Horner, who is gay.īut his feelings on the matter aren't black and white. Companies ranging from local businesses to multinational corporations drop new Pride-themed products and add touches of rainbow decor to their logos, all in the name of LGBTQ allyship.īut if the policies, products and political activities of a company during the other 11 months of the year don't line up with its colourful advertising during Pride month, they are increasingly likely to be called out for “rainbow washing” - public displays of support for the LGBTQ community that are temporary and not backed up by action.
Throughout June,advertisements from brands featuring Pride imagery appear on televisions, billboards and especially social media feeds. Toronto-based graphic designer Dylan Horner says a lot of the marketing campaigns he comes across during Pride month make him cringe.