Pride 2022—how brands are celebrating the LGBTQ+ community this June

It’s June again—the month social media braces for an onslaught of rainbow-colored logos and products. But, Pride 2022 is different than previous celebrations. This year's festivities are shadowed by the numerous pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that have passed or been proposed since last June, disproportionately affecting transgender Americans and queer youth.

Rather than documenting each brand’s revamped packaging, Ad Age collects this year’s top Pride campaigns with purpose. Check back throughout the month to stay up to date on the latest work supporting the LGBTQ+ community.

Microsoft takes Pride to the metaverse

Microsoft has gathered its queer employee community from offices spanning more than 120 countries to raise awareness on what it means to be LGBTQ+ in 2022. The company’s “Pride Has No Borders” platform features a VR experience to immerse viewers in a digital experience to explore queer history and hear from advocacy groups, such as the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World) and OutRight Action International.

Microsoft also turned to its internal LGBTQ+ group to craft a vibrant series of artwork featuring 33 flags representing different identities within the community. “Microsoft Unlocked” is a new series of monthly profiles of the company’s employees, launching this month with Pride stories that empower readers through the intersectionality of global LGBTQ+ communities, each facing unique but unifying injustices.

Make a YouTube short, make a donation

To support LGBTQ+ youth, YouTube calls on its vast user base to post Shorts, with each “#YouTubePrideChallenge” video generating a $1 donation to the Trevor Project. Led by campaign Grand Marshal Willow Pill, winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 14, the campaign hopes to see messages of support from all users, whether LGBTQ+ or allies. Each Short will feature a new cover of Diana Ross’s “I’m Coming Out” by artist Halsey, with the potential to rack up a huge donation on behalf of users and collect a powerful show of support from the YouTube community.

“This June, we're showcasing ways Pride can offer light, love, hope and a reason to celebrate,” reads a blog post for the campaign. The site also links to hubs for YouTube’s curated Pride content and music playlists.

NYX Cosmetics offers inclusive metaverse avatars

On June 24, metaverse platform The Sandbox kicks off “Belonging Week,” a first-of-its-kind virtual Pride parade. As part of NYX Cosmetics’ “Paint Your Own Story” campaign, the L’Oréal-owned brand will debut a collection of inclusive NFT avatars featuring a diverse range of skin tones and gender and cultural expression, created with Web3 group People of Crypto Lab.

NYX was also hosting physical activations during LA Pride, including a mural painted by artist Seth Bogart and a drag show at Heart West Hollywood. The brand also debuted a limited-edition gender-inclusive makeup line. NYX, an ongoing partner with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, will allow customers to round up purchases to benefit the non-profit throughout the month.

Make a donation with a picture

BMO Financial Group, supported by agency FCB Canada, is literally turning rainbows into action this Pride with its “Rainbow Deposits” campaign. No matter where people bank, they can download the campaign’s app to snap a picture of a rainbow—in the sky, on a flag, a shirt, socks, window paint—and transform that photo into a $1 donation to Rainbow Railroad, a non-profit that helps LGBTQ+ people living in oppressive regions, up to $50,000.

Chipotle addresses food insecurity

Chipotle’s Pride platform spans a charitable merch line and checkout round-up program as well as training and resources for its employees. The burrito maker is also using its platform to address an issue in the LGBTQ+ community that doesn’t get as much attention. According to research cited by the company, LGBTQ+ adults in America are nearly twice as likely as their straight counterparts to experience food insecurity. Chipotle and Miley Cyrus’s Happy Hippy, a non-profit for homeless youth, will distribute $250,000 of food to the charity’s LGBTQ+ center partners throughout the year.

Pantene helps create inclusive workspaces 

Along with the video, Pantene released educational resources on how to create an inclusive workplace, in collaboration with the video’s 12 cast members as well as advocacy groups, including Outleadership and The Dress Code Project.