Visible Wireless’ Pride Campaign Honors LGBTQ+ History

In the wake of fumbled executions by several heavyweight brands that will become textbook examples of performative marketing, Pride month was off to a rocky start. Thankfully, Visible Wireless’ new Pride campaign has arrived to show brands positioning themselves as allies to the community how it’s done: In a way that serves both the community and brand without feeling forced and disconnected. The Verizon-owned wireless carrier and its agency, Madwell, kicked off the month with the cheekily named “No Straight Answers,” a 70s-themed game show paying homage to the decade in which the LGBTQ+ community began its now-annual celebration. The entertaining and nearly 6-minute-long video sees the return of comedian Benny Drama—who previously appeared in the brand’s “Single’s Day” campaign—as the campy and perfectly coiffed host tasked with quizzing the two teams, each representing the community’s elder and Gen Z members, on questions meant to build awareness, connections and conversations between them. The game’s clever premise also serves as a springboard to promote the brand’s partnership with SAGE, a nonprofit committed to the advocacy of “bringing generations of LGBTQ+ people together to connect and support one another,” as Drama notes in his epilogue.Participating in the friendly face-off are The Old Gays, the elderly TikTok sensations with nearly 11 million followers (whom Drama refers to as “a generation that knows how to write in cursive”), and The Young Slays, a group comprising of Gen Z creators Jared Goldstein, Kendahl Landreth, Lila Jackson and Athena Layna (lovingly deemed “precious little ones who have never known a world without the sum total of the human knowledge available in their pocket”). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpzP395xqzg Through rounds with titles such as “LGBTQ&A” and “Slang Slam,” the teams and the audience learn several interesting facts, including the year the Pride flag was designed, the best place to go for an LGBTQ+ vacation and what it means to be “screaming crying throwing up.”The #ProudlyVisible campaign is fully digital and will run on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube starting June 1, with the brand inviting fans to visit their website for more information and test their LGBTQ+ history with trivia and quizzes on TikTok and Instagram throughout the month. Helping the (in)Visible feel seen With over 650 pieces of legislature threatening the community across the country, brands have an opportunity to use their reach and platforms to advocate for and support the community authentically and shift the tone of what has become dangerous rhetoric. Because Visible has historically made advocacy core to its values, the work sticks the landing. “We wanted to approach [Pride] in a different way [this year],” Cheryl Gresham, CMO and vp of Verizon Value, told Adweek. “We thought a lot about ‘What are the important topics?’ ‘What’s going on?’ ‘What’s both entertaining but important?’” Gresham gave credit to the brand’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) team for planting the seeds that led them to partner with SAGE, a relationship that will extend beyond Pride, and includes a donation of $50,000 to support the organization’s key programs, including a hotline connecting elders from the community to trained responders. "Through this partnership with Visible, we are excited to highlight the dynamic spirits of our trailblazers, while acknowledging the critical significance of nurturing connectivity and bonds within the LGBTQ+ community," said SAGE CEO Michael Adams in a statement. "As we celebrate Pride month, our hope is that this campaign will not only enlighten but also ignite a transformative spark within younger people and allies." Added Gresham, “Elders in any community can feel isolated and removed and have less connections,” noting that Visible—quite literally—sought SAGE’s advice during the ideation of the campaign and their overall approach to the topic and involvement as a brand ally in the space. “We want to be supportive of SAGE and the elder community, and they definitely are teaching us a lot and helping us be better communicators in our marketing and in our programs.” She also cited the key generational differences in the community (“what people experienced, how they’ve shown up, how they’ve celebrated”) as inspiration for the Gen Z pairing and the campaign’s trivia format. Strong allyship = strong brand capital In fact, Gresham told Adweek that when it comes to the brand’s synergistic marketing and creative approach, the data adds up; noting that content with more community-related topics outperforms its counterparts in engagement. Not a Seasonal Cash Grab: Brand Lessons on Engaging With Diverse Creators “The watch times, the clicks, the reactions, etc. are all stronger,” she says, explaining how it has been beneficial as Visible works to build its brand awareness amongst a broader, younger audience—one that she notes makes their decisions based on brand alignment more than price. For Gresham and her team, the data also helped them find the perfect cast for the campaign in The Old Gays and creators that authentically resonated with the community, especially Drama, who she says, “adds so much to the work.” In this case, it is work they hope makes everyone—especially the community—proud. “For all of us, views are important in our lives and need to be respected, supported, and appreciated. I love that this [work] helps bridge that.”

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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The brand and Madwell tapped intergenerational LGBTQ+ creators announcing its year-round partnership with SAGE

Leslie Blount

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Leslie Blount