To underline just how far we have come and have yet to travel as far as inclusivity in advertising is concerned, the LGBTQIA+ advocacy group quite cleverly called Outvertising, recently unveiled a major campaign to coincide with LGBT History Month. The idea was to reframe the narrative of some famous advertising scripts from the past, making them more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ audiences.
The creative work – developed by creative agency Across the Pond – reinvented ads include DeBeers’ ‘Two Months Salary’ poster and Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” spot. It also features a call to action for LGBTQIA+ ad professionals and allies to join the Outvertising community.
To learn more, we spoke to Nick Alden, Senior Creative and Anna Brent, Global Head of Brand and DEI at Across the Pond.
What was the brief?
Outvertising is an organisation on a mission to change the industry through an increased representation of the queer community. It exists to make UK marketing and advertising completely LGBTQIA+ inclusive.
To do this, the team needs as many industry-folk as possible to join its group and make it count. Our brief was to get more people from the LGBTQ+ community - and their allies - to join Outvertising’s Slack channel.
What was the process behind ideating the concept?
We were speaking to a niche audience of advertisers and marketers. So we got thinking about things that only they would understand and relate to. Our observation was that well-known ads, taglines and campaigns are our industry’s shared language. We can’t talk about them enough and we look back at old ads with nostalgia.
So we decided to take those famous ads and rewrite them with LGBTQIA+ representation in mind. After all, as we’re in this business, we can change it.
What was the production process like?
Anyone who has worked on a pro bono project knows that you can't expect a traditional production process.
We relied on the goodwill and passion from brilliant people in our network - queer folks and some allies. The design and animation work was done by talented people who believe in what Outvertising stands for; people who were keen to use their skills to support the wider cause.
In this way, the production process relied on everyone involved pulling in extra hours, and constantly adapting the output for the media spaces generously donated to Outvertising for LGBT+ History Month.
What was the biggest challenge during production? How did you overcome it?
Language around the LGBTQIA+ community is forever evolving and being re-evaluated. And this project became a catalyst for plenty of healthy, progressive conversations about which words to use.
In an attempt to get it right, we spent time talking to the Outvertising board and to volunteers to sense-check and evaluate the words we used and our writing.
What’s the main message of this project and why does it matter?
In our industry, it’s up to us to change the script to make advertising and marketing communications LGBTQIA+ inclusive. One way to do that is to join Outvertising in its mission.
Representation in advertising matters because it affects how people perceive themselves and others. It shapes cultural norms and values and it influences buying decisions.
Accurate representation of diverse groups helps to break down stereotypes, promote equality, and build positive self-esteem, while underrepresentation or negative representation can reinforce harmful biases and perpetuate discrimination.
Moreover, reflecting the diversity of society in advertising increases its relevancy and appeal to a wider audience, leading to increased brand recognition and sales.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
Our hope is continued growth of the Outvertising community - queer people and allies alike - as well as increased LGBTQIA+ representation in advertising and marketing.
Credit list for the work?
Agency: Across the Pond
Executive Creative Director: Jim de Zoete
Executive Producer: Anna Brent
Creatives: Nick Alden and Maggi Machado
Designer: Dan Stephens
Animator: JD Dean
Post Production: Dylan Stevens
Client: Outvertising
Creative Director: Mark Roper
Director of Community and Culture: Anna Brent
