An Open Letter to Cannes Lions Jurors

The Cannes Lions season is upon us and we’re looking forward to seeing a bumper crop of inclusive campaigns this year. And as a collective voice from the diverse LGBTQ community, PrideAM hopes this year’s juries will be sensitive to our authentic representation.

We’re impartial and do whatever we can to support brands and their agencies taking positive steps towards inclusive creativity. Please don’t just give extra marks to a campaign that’s made a nod to LGBTQ stuff. Please do reward brave work that presents the broadest and most inclusive aspects of our queer community.

We’re soon to launch the world’s most comprehensive free guide to producing LGBTQ-inclusive advertising aimed at a mainstream audience – Outvertising – but meanwhile, here’s some pointers from the guide:

Is the LGBTQ stance concordant with the brand’s positioning?

Historically has the brand been supportive of LGBTQ equality?

Did insight from the LGBTQ community, including the brand’s own employees, Employee Representation Groups and LGBTQ networks, inform the strategy and creative?

Are LGBTQ people in the advertising being stereotyped? Is it heteronormative?

Is the campaign sustainable? Is the brand showing a long-term commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive advertising?

Above all, does the creative feel authentic?

A delegation from PrideAM will be in Cannes, so if you’d like to meet up and talk about how your brand can authentically be inclusive of the LGBTQ community, do please get in touch with us. We are all unpaid volunteers.

Good luck. We’re looking forward to celebrating and amplifying great work.

Love from everyone at PrideAM.