ABOUT

It’s easy to think the battle for Pride has been fought and won.
But the day-to-day struggle is very real.
Against a backdrop of rising hate crimes and a UK election fought through culture wars, we needed to make this year’s Pride a statement about our right to exist.
To create a campaign that would recognise, validate and embolden queer Londoners, reigniting the community and inspiring them to reclaim their city.
To shout that #WeAreEverywhere.
We ditched the rainbow-drenched performance, and embraced a visual style as daring, fearless and authentic as our community themselves.
Headlines like ‘We built this city’ and ‘London is so gay’ spikily co-opted the language of protest and turned pejorative statements back on the haters.
This was a campaign by queers for queers, and the community response was overwhelming:
"It's bold, it's brave and it's needed"
"I’m very happy to see diverse bodies – I need to see them. It makes me feel there's more than cis-heteronormative beauty out there. It feels like there's space for me" 
"I feel f*cking seen. Being gay is really hot. It’s amazing. It's inspiring”
Kantar agreed…
60% awareness among London’s LGBTQIA+ community.
10% increase in feeling “engaged with the LGBTQIA+ community”.

CONCEPT:

It was clear that the real-world impact of politicians’ electioneering was taking its toll on the LGBTQIA+ community of London. With the very real threat of violence from a dramatic increase in hate crimes, this previously empowered community were becoming frustrated and scared. During Pride month the media headlines only encouraged division and fragmentation when queer Londoners needed community more than ever.
We wanted LGBTQIA+ people to realise, appreciate and celebrate being part of this incredible group, without whom London wouldn’t be the same. The everyday acts of queer Londoners transform the city around them, and we wanted to create a campaign that would have the same impact: a campaign that LGBTQIA+ people would see on the billboards of this city and instantly feel seen, understood and proud to be queer.
Our campaign would be by queer Londoners and for queer Londoners.
But true representation was never going to be easy; identity is such an important focus for queer people. “LGBTQIA+” might be a useful acronym, but it’s not a tick list. People’s identities are constantly shifting and changing, diverse and intersecting, visible and not.
Early in the process, we worked with a queer casting director to unite an authentic mix of personalities and people. Going above and beyond the expected demographics, we were deliberately inclusive of sexualities and genders that often get missed. As well as representing a range of stories from friends, relationships, and queer parents to neurodiversity and disability. A truly honest representation of this city.

EXECUTION
Being queer in 2024 means showing up day-in and day-out, refusing to conform to society’s expectations. Even in the face of rising hostility.
And yet, when it comes to Pride campaigns, the default is a high-gloss, rainbow-drenched performance that says ‘everything is ok’.
For Pride 2024, we needed to ditch the rainbows. To forget anodyne assimilation and inspire people to unashamedly show up as their true selves.
So we took the queer community’s tradition of bold and subversive protest – and used this front and centre.
Think gays are everywhere? You’re right. ‘WE ARE EVERYWHERE’ (and London is better for it).
Think ‘gay’ is an insult? Fine. ‘LONDON IS SO GAY’ becomes a joyful headline.
Think pronouns are problematic? We’ll proudly display ‘THEY/THEM’ across Piccadilly Circus.
Our confident and unexpected suite of headlines needed an equally fresh and bold visual style.
Borrowing inspiration from 90s Calvin Klein ads, we challenged heteronormative beauty standards with a flood of full-frontal queerness, using a stripped-back editorial style to connect with the power and character of each person.
We also went above and beyond to create a safe and inclusive shoot, with a predominantly queer crew and styling team. This meant each cast member felt empowered to help craft their own unique headline – giving us unprecedented breadth and authenticity of representation (from ‘ASSEXUALS ASSEMBLE’, to the playful ‘TRANS AS IN HOT’, to ‘OUR CARBINER CAPITAL’ – the latter being a beautifully specific reference for the lesbian community that – very deliberately – not everyone would get).

RESULTS:

Despite relying on gifted media, our campaign cut-through the noise and successfully reached 60% of London’s LGBTQIA+ community (Kantar).
But numbers hide the true impact. By focusing on the lives, experiences and talents of the queer community, we successfully showcased their everyday protest, the relatable rebellion, and the badass bitches not letting anyone ruin their day. Crafting an energy and attitude that defied society’s eye-rolling expectations of Pride campaigns.
One cast member described the shoot as “a pleasure to be surrounded by loving, supportive and beautiful (IN EVERY WAY) individuals who are passionate about being their most authentic selves. You created such an open, welcoming and FREEING environment on set. I am honoured to have worked with and met you all.” (Instagram)
This approach connected with our queer audience on an emotional level, inspiring a response that was truly overwhelming.
"It's bold. It's brave and it's needed."
"I’m very happy to see diverse bodies – I need to see them. It makes me feel that there's more than cis-heteronormative beauty out there. It feels like there's space for me" 
"I love it. I love seeing it in black and white. Everyone thinks Pride is super rainbow-washed. But actually, we're normal people trying to live our lives."
"I feel f*cking seen. Being gay is really hot. It’s amazing. It's inspiring”
In a difficult year, queer people in London felt more connected to the community (+10%, Kantar) after seeing our campaign, and ultimately, that is what Pride In London is all about.