ABOUT

To launch George’s party wear this Christmas, we wanted to do something different from the usual, so we chose to tap into something meaningful, whilst still celebrating the season.

We learnt that going home at Christmas is not always easy for people and that this is particularly the case with the LGBTQ+ community. It takes courage, and empathy to overcome this sad truth. We turned to Ball Culture, a loud and proud countercultural phenomenon rooted in necessity and defiance. A place of acceptance and celebration, for LGTBQ+ people.

George donated £100,000 to Diversity Roles Models to end LGTBQ+ bullying in schools, and we built on this, partnering with them to make our campaign.

We told the story of a trans person arriving at a typical pub one evening at Christmastime. At first they don't feel welcome, but fortified by music and an inner confidence, they push through the feared judgement and uncomfortableness and dance their way into changing the whole atmosphere in the pub, to one of complete inclusivity and joy. In the words of our campaign - they "Slay it”. This visually rich world became central to the campaign.

It was of paramount importance to stay authentic to the scene. We wanted to celebrate it, bring it to a wider audience, but not steal from the culture, so we worked with people who were part of, or supporters of the scene. The director, producer, choreographer, our lead and supporting dancers, the musician and more. All were fully bought into the story right from the start.

Results - as well as 1 billion Tik Tok views in seven days, it garnered a lot of further attention, with the community reacting very positively: "it's a unnimous Slay it! from us" (Diversity Role Models) "It’s like if POSE was set in Nuneaton", "It is good to see a big brand like ASDA being in this space. So many people seem to think that the LGBTQ+ community are now "all sorted!" and happy. The sad fact is that there are over 2200 homo/transphobic hate crimes in the UK every month. So, there is a long, long way to go. So, thanks to ASDA and the team involved for wanting to be part of the solution" Jason Anderson