Pride Month: No rainbow washing, only real engagements

The Pride Month is almost over. This year what was missing was the flood of marketing campaigns, which have been often criticised by the very community as “empty words and mere tokenism”.

Most brands were engaged in on-ground activities for the LGBTQ community. So, have we moved beyond the token rainbow-washing in June? 

Throughout the month, we saw only two major brands coming out with campaigns marking Pride Month. In the absence of clutter, these two seemed like genuine efforts to show solidarity with the LGBTQ community.

FUTURE GENERALI #WelcomeHome

Consistently showcasing individuals from the community in their marketing campaigns is not new for insurance giant Future Generali. Their ad released earlier this week features a whole gamut of individuals, ranging from homosexual couples and transgender people to a man wearing make-up in a professional setting and a crossdresser.

All of these people are shown to be not just comfortable with who they are, but also happy with their existence. The montage ends with a party, presumably a transitioning party for a transperson. Titled #WelcomeHome, the ad ends with the poignant message that, “Home is wherever you can be yourself.”  

 

The ad closes with the company’s initiatives for the community.

PS: All ‘models’ in the ad were people from the LGBTQ community 

IKEA - The Closet 

This ad shows customers in an Ikea store intrigued by a sign asking if they could live inside a closet. Some curious ones do enter. Inside, they find a headset which plays a set of questions about gender and sexual identities that people from the LGBTQ community face daily.

They are then told that they could choose to walk out of the closet but many others don’t have that choice. The initiative encourages people to have conversations, listen and address their personal biases. 

Some other brands opted for activities that engaged with the community, and tried to address their issues. 

Durex, for example, under its flagship initiative, The Birds and Bees Talk (TBBT), has collaborated with Outlook Magazine for an exclusive Pride Month edition. With contributors from the community, it contained articles on topics like history, rights, and societal perceptions of the LGBTQIA+ community aptly following the theme for this year, “Reflect. Empower. Unite.” 

SpiceJet has now decided to make all its announcements in gender-neutral terms. Instead of ‘Ladies and gentlemen’ while addressing passengers, the announcements will address everyone as ‘all the wonderful people’ to be more inclusive for non-binary, gender non-conforming and gender fluid individuals. 

Since 2021, Tinder India has been organising Queer Made Weekends (QMW) where they showcase queer-owned businesses in Delhi and Mumbai. Recently, they also released its first Queer Dating Starter Pack in India. Developed with Gaysi Family, a queer-owned, queer-run media platform, this visual checklist will be a great assist for young first-time queer daters on Tinder, offering essential guidance on self-discovery, dating etiquette, consent, safety, boundaries, and self-care. 

A one-of-its kind event, QMW, saw over 20K attendees, over three days across the two cities this year. “Through our campaigns and community initiatives, in partnership with experts and organizations, we seek to bridge that gap, and create digital and IRL spaces for people of the community to explore dating and relationships. Through community initiatives like Museum of Queer Swipe Stories, LetsTalkGender.in, spearheaded by experts and organizations that work in this space, we seek to create a safe space where people can be their authentic selves,” said Anukool Kumar, Marketing Director, Tinder India.

Founder of SW Network Founder Pranav Agarwal agrees that there haven’t been as many flashy, rainbow-laden campaigns compared to previous years. “It might seem like brands have lost interest in the LGBTQIA+ community, especially considering the explosion of Fathers’ Day ads, but here’s the secret: sometimes, a quieter approach can be a sign of real progress,” he stated. Maybe brands are finally moving beyond ‘rainbow washing’ and flashy campaigns, and are focusing on initiatives that create a lasting impact for the LGBTQIA+ community in India, he added. 

In reference to the move from ad campaigns to on-ground initiatives, he feels this is like a shift from “Look at me, I support Pride!” to showing up and doing something meaningful. His agency was involved with Colorbar Cosmetics #AllShadesOfYou campaign that addresses taboos like men wearing makeup and self-expression through colourful (even loud!) makeup. 

Agarwal believes that true allyship goes beyond slogans shouted on a particular date. A brand that truly espouses the cause would champion inclusive storytelling as the human connection fosters empathy and understanding within the broader Indian community, he said. 

Independent agency White Rivers Media (WRM) also took up a bunch of initiatives. Along with Keshav Suri Foundation, they ran a digital campaign highlighting the scams faced by the LGBTQ community on dating apps. They also created the 'Groove with Pride' a Spotify playlist, showcasing the exceptional talent of LGBTQIA+ music artists globally. The agency hosted a panel discussion in association with The Quint on ‘Pinkwashing’, which challenged the concept of performative brand support to the pride community. 

Speaking about the paucity of ads centred around Pride, Viren Vesuwala from WRM said this was because brands are slowing things down, wary of being called out for ‘pinkwashing’. “But this isn't a snub to the LGBTQ+ community. It's a strategic sidestep. The focus has shifted to tangible, community-driven impact with on-ground activities,” he said. 

It's about meaningful representation, sustained support, and creating a world where everyone feels like they belong, he further stated. According to Vesuwala, “This shift towards genuine community engagement is a sign of the Pride movement in India coming of age, one built on real connections and lasting advocacy, not fleeting marketing campaigns.”

A marketing expert, not wishing to be named, said one factor pushing back brands from churning out “cheesy ads” is the fear of social media backlash. “We are living in very divisive times. Anything can be taken out of context, resulting in the brand facing trolling, or worse being cancelled.” The safer way to participate, he said, was to paint logos on social media in rainbow colours with a few “perfunctory posts” throughout the month.