{"id":1290,"date":"2021-06-03T15:03:35","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T20:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/capertongillett.com\/blog\/?p=1290"},"modified":"2024-11-27T02:19:39","modified_gmt":"2024-11-27T08:19:39","slug":"three-brands-that-didnt-screw-up-pride-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/capertongillett.com\/blog\/three-brands-that-didnt-screw-up-pride-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Three brands that didn\u2019t screw up Pride Month"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Image courtesy of Stoli)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Pride Month, that annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, is both a great party and an important acknowledgment of LGBTQ+ people\u2019s right to freely and unashamedly exist<\/em>. (If you\u2019re reading this and actually are a part of said community, skip on down to the real content. You probably know most of this stuff.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the fun stuff, though, Pride is also a necessary reminder of less-fun stuff. The selection of June is in remembrance of the six-day Stonewall uprising in June of 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn for the purpose of arresting and assaulting the LGBTQ+ people who frequented it, and those people fought the hell back. There\u2019s a lot of history. This year, the celebration comes in the context of a slew of bills<\/a> targeting transgender people, right down to the kids. So Pride 2021 takes on even more significance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brands love to dig into Pride Month as an opportunity to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and\/or make a crapload of money. Attempts vary. Results vary, too \u2014 some brands hit the mark, and some roll out such awful, insulting disasters<\/a> that you want to confiscate their Pride Advertising card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(\u201cPridevertising\u201d? YES. Must credit Caperton Gillett Creative.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But some are legitimately good. Some efforts are executed in concert with the community in question, based on more than just stereotypes and color schemes, and are accompanied by meaningful, tangible contributions. And those, while still commercialized, aren\u2019t bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, as a straight, cis person, it\u2019s not my place to say what\u2019s cool or not about LGBTQ+-related brand engagement. So here are a few Pride Month efforts by brands that appear to not be totally tactless and offensive and, in fact, appear to work, as determined by people more qualified than me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reebok<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Reebok\u2019s 2021 Pride collection<\/a> can only be described as fierce. The shoes were designed by Colorful Soles, Reebok\u2019s in-house all-LGBTQ+ group, and promoted in collaboration with the Iconic House of Ninja.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Introducing the iconic House of Ninja, founded by Willi Ninja in 1983\/84. Through community, movement, and vogueing, the Legendary House of Ninja shows that Fierceness Isn\u2019t Born. It\u2019s Made. https:\/\/t.co\/eOUSYPSM9j<\/a> #ReebokPride<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/dR9lOSRizD<\/a><\/p>— Reebok (@Reebok) May 15, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>