All brands should harness the power of queer in their advertising

Why?

Because queer inclusion is good for your audience AND your brand

Queer people are a bigger part of your audience than you may realise!

The numbers able to acknowledge this, increase with each survey (YouGov, 2018).

Queer representation in ads been shown to be good for business

Particularly in driving brand recall (Hornet & Nielsen)

Oh and it’s simply a good thing for your audience & society

Most bigotry arises from fear of the unknown & bombastic stereotypes that limit everyone’s understanding of reality.

LGBTQ youth are at higher risk of suicide due the negative stigmas they face from society (The Trevor Project, 2020).

The numbers able to acknowledge this, increase with each survey (YouGov, 2018).

That’s why we recently hosted a whole panel on ‘The Power of Queer in Advertising’ at Advertising Week Europe 2022…

Lucy and Steve work hard to advocate the benefits of including marginalised people in advertising, usualising difference, particularly in their roles as directors on the board of Outvertising (advocating intersectional LGBTQ+ inclusion in advertising), alongside fellow Outvertising director & leading marketer Jerry Daykin, and previous Outvertising Awards judge, Creative Director Natasher Beecher.

What good looks like

On the panel we discussed some of our favourite inclusive ads and why they worked so well. The consistent key thread between them all was authenticity. Good ads harnessed an “authenticity [of human truth] that’s universal” (Tash). They usualised differences and told a story that anyone can relate to with universal, relatable moments such as the universal angst of meeting the family at Christmas in Etsy’s ‘Gift like you mean it’. Queer protagonists can “beautifully tell the story of the familiar complexities involved in gift giving, but in a distinct memorable way ” (Lucy). One of the 2021 Outvertising Award winners was Mastercard ‘True Name’, “through harnessing authentic voices went so far as to powerfully develop inclusion in their product, not just their communications around it” by recognising & serving the unique challenges faced by trans people who’re in their business and their customers.

Having a strong inclusive ad is great, what’s even better is backing it up with “more associated material running beside it” (Steve) such as Q&A and influencer content, creating a “very well rounded and wholesome, credible” campaign that’s “not just a flash in the pan” and serves both the client and audiences. Another good strategy is to sponsor an inclusive programme, “from a media perspective, one of the great things you can do with your media dollars is sponsor inclusive media” (Jerry).

The key is to get started and harness the power of it for yourself

Harnessing the power of queer inclusion can feel easier said than done, BUT it’s rewarding, and is just the right thing to do! Starting is the key.

Here are 5 tips to get you started

Inclusion starts with the input - the people and the brief, so ensure you’re aware of the industry’s unconscious biases to just default to the obvious, familiar protagonists. 

Educate yourself & your stakeholders/teams to empower better work -  if in doubt reach out to groups such as Outvertising and NABS

Don’t default to lazy limiting stereotypes - embracing intersectionality also unlocks richer more distinctive, memorable stories

Remember no one’s perfect, so don’t be afraid to get it wrong & keep trying as it will pay off for all involved. 

Harness the power of queer inclusion all year around - not just once a year at Pride. Have long term initiatives in place- build projects and education into the business 

So get more positively inclusive (& remember there is informed support for you)

There are plenty of resources to help you make a positive impact on your audiences and your business.

Also talk to us at distillery, we are all about harnessing the positive power D&I in advertising input and output. We walk the walk, not just talk the talk, and are constantly looking to make only a more positive impact.

You’ll catch us contributing to inclusive thought leadership, like on the NABS Advertising Week panel ‘Take Action Now To Help Underrepresented Talent Thrive’, hosting the ‘Proud to be’ podcast or creating the world's most diverse typeface with our proactive ‘Diversity Type’ project working with designers all over the world from different backgrounds to surface the power of diversity behind great creative.

… Want to know more? Just ask!