Latin America has been the stage for several manifestations and LGBTQ advertising campaigns honouring the diversity and promoting major inclusion, visibility and awareness in society. In this article, we will explore this further.
LGBTQ advertising campaigns to celebrate diversity in Latin America
How did it all begin?
June 28, 1969 marks one of the most memorable events to the LGBTQIAPN+ community. The date symbolizes the Stonewall Rebellion, when New York city cops clashed with rioters in the gay club Stonewall.
At the time, measures against homessexuals were severe, with the gay community being the target of discrimination and violence by society as well as the authorities. These included reports of people being detained and repressed because of their sexual orientation.
The Stonewall rebellion provoked a series of demonstrations both in the United States and other parts of the world. The LGBT community and its allies took to the streets to demand equal rights.
54 years later, the date has become famous globally as theInternational Day of LGBTQIAPN+ Pride, as well as June being known as the Pride Month, with a period of parades, manifestations and campaigns celebrating the LGBTQIAPN+ representation.
LGBTQIAPN+ in Latin America
The fight for the rights of the queer community in Latin America has hit several barriers connected to social, cultural, economical and political issues. The progress of the journey in the search of equality has varied according to the ideology and the political regime of each country.
In practice, the progress is not uniform and homogenous. Being gay in Paraguay, for example, is completely different from being gay in Argentina. In Paraguay, the Constitution prohibits the recognition of the union of people from the same sex. While in Argentina, since 2010, the legislation has allowed it and also offers legal protection against the discrimination from the community.
Countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay, Ecuador and French Guiana have legislations that endorse equal marriage and regulations that aim to combat the discrimination, violence and prejudice faced by the community.
However, it must be said that, even with the constant militancy in the search of recognition on equal terms, Latin America still faces controversial actions, such as:
- According to the report Sin Violência LGBTI, from 2014 to 2021, at least 3.961 acts of murder of queer people took place in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- In Brasil, in 2022, an inedited IBGE survey carried out showed that 2.9 million people over the age of 18 revealed themselves to be lesbians, gays or bissexuals. However, in the very same year, the country registered at least 273 deaths of queer people.
- Although the majority of the Latin American territories have wide legal protection against the discrimination, nowadays, only two countries – Brazil and Ecuador – have specific legislation against so-called “conversion therapy”. These therapies refer to any ongoing efforts to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Countries with laws and regulations for the protection of queer rights, urgently need to advocate further debate regarding questions aimed at raising punishments and controlling regulations related to the crimes committed against the community.
During the LGBT Parade in São Paulo, for example, every year millions gather at Paulista Avenue. Though still,, according to Metrópoles, the number of cases of homophobia in the city last year exceeded the sum of the three previous years.
Countries such as Venezuela, Peru, Paraguay, Guiana and Chile need to align with the expansion of sexual and genre minorities. The advance will only become prominent after the creation and initiation of equal policies and the construction of a fair society.
LGBTQ advertising campaigns in Latin America
In order to collaborate with diversity and inclusion in Latin America, some brands have created great LGBTQ advertising campaigns, and in doing so, revealing themselves as important allies to the cause. Check out some of the most famous ones:
O Boticário
O Boticário is one of the biggest examples of the creation of LGBTQIAPN+ ads. The brand was one of the first companies to approach homossexuality in a natural way through their Valentines Day campaign in Brazil.
This pioneer initiative resulted in controversy for the brand due to it being a boycott target by conservative groups, shaping broad discussion about the subject on the advertisement market in 2015.
However, the company didn’t give in to the backlash and has continued to bring new LGBTQIAPN+ campaign ideas, such as Mother’s Day.
Sprite
In 2019, the soft drinks brand Sprite, in partnership with the Santo de Buenos Aires agency and the Argentinian LGBT Federation, promoted a campaign to celebratedifferent sexual orientations and genre identities.
The message of the video looks to demonstrate the pride a family member feels when they see someone they love choosing the path that brings them happiness. The brand also amplifies the meaning of the word “pride” with the hashtag “YouAreNotAlone (#NoEstasSolo).
Absolut
Absolut is a powerful reference of LGBTQ advertising campaigns worldwide. It is a brand that always tries to get across messages related to awareness, inclusion and social change.
In 2018, while Peruvian LGBTQIAPN+ collectives were fighting for the legalization of same-sex unions, the company had several billboards put up around Lima to support the cause.
Although same-sex unions weren’t legalized, the predominant campaign slogan “More Love” helped to create awareness around the cause.
On other occasions, Absolut created thematic bottles aimed at the LGBTQ community, besides other campaigns that celebrated love while disregarding the importance of gender or sexual orientation.
Doritos
Doritos – Nunca Es Tarde Para Ser Quien Eres
The Doritos campaign “It’s never too late to be who you are” in Mexico had a global impact. The advertisement unifies the celebration of the Day of the Dead with the inclusion of LGBTQ community.
The video is directly connected with the platform “Pride All Year” which is a part of the Doritos Rainbow, a space to support the LGBT community and their families through donations and orientation workshops.
Ambev
On the 28th of June, 2022, Ambev launched a campaign with the goal to increase the visibility of their inclusion and diversity initiatives. In a video starring the influencer Linn da Quebrada, the company highlights their support for their employees’ social names.
Currently, Ambev has 160 trans collaborators, with 13 of those participating in the video launched last year. The goal was to highlight how the change of social name can transform people’s lives, allowing them to assume their own identity.
How to be an ally?
Over the last few years, the discussion about diversity and inclusion received massive support from big companies in Brazil. Some companies established specific sectors and centers specifically dedicated to the development of these practices and the inclusion of LGBTQIAPN+ people.
The “Pride Month” has become a popular celebration. However, any Digital Marketing and PR agency wanting to create alliances with the community must be ready to embrace new measures with the capacity to change the reality of the LGBT community.
It is a conscious niche, with motives and struggles requiring greater attention, and for this reason, it is essential to engage with the public in order to truly understand it and take on responsibility for it in order to show a positioning consistent with the audience’s expectations.
