Pride: Where Bold Moves Meet Bright Colors

June marks the arrival of Pride Month, and in time-honored tradition, a kaleidoscope of rainbow-versioned brand logos will splash across our collective social feeds. Last year, at least seven of the top fifty Fortune 500 brands uploaded a Pride-ified logo as their Twitter avatar, with a wealth of smaller companies following suit.

It’s a gesture many in the LGBTQIA+ community love to see. A cheerful expression of solidarity in what often feels like dark times—particularly this year, with its miasma of election year pessimism hanging thick in the air.

Still, there’s a question on more than a few minds: is shellacking your logo with a coat of rainbow-colored paint the powerful statement it once was? It’s debatable. What is clear is that there’s both an appetite and an opportunity to show up for this community in a meaningful way.

For marketers, that means approaching Pride campaigns with equal parts authenticity and originality. We can start by looking to brands that have reached this high bar in recent years.

Last year, Microsoft open-sourced their Pride campaign, releasing a library of colorful graphic elements sourced from almost 50 community Pride flags. Visitors could create their own unique Pride flag and accompanying design pieces, sharing them out with original messaging to become part of the campaign.

It felt fresh, inviting—and most of all—authentic. Why? Because Microsoft the work was rooted in not one, but two powerful truths. First, one that’s core to their brand: as a tech company, Microsoft is in the business of enabling creativity. Why produce an ad when you can build a toolkit that lets others create something fun?

Their real win, however, was nailing the community truth. Microsoft picked up on the fact that the LGBTQIA+ experience is not just deeply personal, but constantly evolving. Hence, a campaign where every piece of collateral is remixable, re-makable, and unique to every member of its creator audience.

As a marketer activating your brand, especially during Pride, it’s worth asking, “What’s our brand truth, our audience truth, and the sweet spot right at the intersection?”

Another brand, Absolut, has a long history of showing up for the LGBTQIA+ community. They’ve also created some of Pride season’s most iconic design work, including the rainbow-painted commemorative bottles that grace liquor store shelves every summer.

In 2022, Absolut showed up in a thoughtful new way. Their Out & Open campaign brought awareness to the modern plight of gay bars, which are closing at an alarming rate. These essential queer spaces have a long history of providing sanctuary from an often-hostile outside world.

Absolut’s campaign brought this history to life through a variety of poignant audio stories. For every listen, Absolut donated an additional dollar to the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. It's an aspect of gay culture where Absolut, as an alcohol brand, has credibility to enter the discourse—and they’ve done so marvelously.

It’s an example marketers would do well to follow. Ask yourself, “What role does my brand play in this community’s story?”

Skittles, with its colorful candies and playful branding, could easily adopt a maximalist approach to their Pride campaigns. They don’t.

Instead, during Pride Month, they remove the colors from their fruity treats, stripping their product and branding down to monochromatic shades of gray. The reason is so simple, they stick it on the front of their packaging: “Only one rainbow matters during Pride month.” For every Pride pack sold, they donate $1 to GLAAD in support of their ongoing efforts to combat anti-LGBTQIA+ discrimination.

Is it a masterful PR move? Sure. It’s one of those ideas you immediately tell your friends about—as sharable, perhaps, as the candy itself.

But that’s only half the story. The truth is, it’s rare to see a brand showing up with such humility. Here, Skittles is downplaying their most eye-catching, taste bud–activating design hallmarks—all so they can show solidarity with a community. It’s this act of brand selflessness that makes the campaign memorable, and what should provide food for thought for all marketers this Pride season.

Design, as we all know, is powerful. When Lippincott worked with NYC Pride to create an inclusive brand identity, we were reminded of all the storied history and equity the rainbow flag carries with it.

At the same time, our collaboration reinforced something even more inspiring. The LGBTQIA+ community’s story is one defined by bravery, action, and a refusal to shrink themselves to fit into anyone’s mold.

As brands are contemplating how exactly to show up for Pride month, that’s as good a place as any to start.

Images sourced from Microsoft Blog and Skittles Press