Are Italian brands doing enough for Pride Month?

As we commence the month of June — where black & white logos of companies on Instagram and LinkedIn burst into an explosion of colour, and the storefronts of brands in the city centre become drenched in all the flavours of the rainbow, for the exact period of 30 days —  it is important for us to acknowledge the reality behind the marketing of Pride Month, especially on a local level. For years there’s been a discourse around the concept of rainbow washing as a marketing strategy that does not actually support the queer community fundamentally but is rather a surface level tactic that gives the illusion of such, profiting off the community as opposed to giving back. The global LGBTQ+ community’s purchasing power is estimated to be around $4 trillion and as much as 31 percent of Gen Z individuals are estimated to identify as LGBTQ+ , so therefore everyone wants a slice of that market, but not everyone is willing to use their influence to help the community in the way that it needs.

While this discourse has been had on an international scale, not much has been said in regards to the part that corporations play in Italy during and outside of Pride Month and how that impacts society. The past few years have been knowingly difficult in regards to progression for the local LGBTQ+ community. From Giorgia Meloni’s recent limitation on the rights of some same sex parents, to the senate’s block on the anti-homophobia DDL Zan law, and the homotransphobic violence happening around the country, some of which goes viral on social media every so often. It has been a struggle for many, yet the past few years in pride marketing in Italy has not been directly centered around current affairs and creating a safer environment for the community, but more so around the narrative of love, peace and rainbows. Locally, brands seem to have played a passive role in the progression of society for LGBTQ+ people, especially because they almost never concern themselves with the community outside of pride month, they seem to be silent during the year while these laws are being denied and rights are being limited, and then supportive on June 1st. It is no secret that in the world of business, social progress drives marketing trends. But what if marketing trends also drive social progress? We spoke with a few LGBTQ+ Italian based creatives to get some first hand accounts on the opinions of the community .

David Blank, musician

Tell me about your opinions on pride marketing in Italy. Is it progressive ? Does it serve any purpose ? 

Most of Italy’s Pride Marketing is mostly performative, not towards the Italian LGBTQ+ community but towards the rest of the world, like Halloween is an Anglosaxon festivity that is now celebrated in Italy to show that we are also “cool” [...]. Not many brands are doing the job of working with the right charities and working with professionals beyond Pride Month.

Are there any Itlalian Pride campaigns throughout the years that have stuck throughout your head? 

Yes, Amazon Pride where they made a series of podcasts about the history of the LGBTQ+, very insightful.

What has your experience been like as a creative working with brands on Pride projects? 

Some brands were clearly just looking for a token, because they took me into consideration only during Pride, while others kept the relationship going and also allowed me freedom and to stay true to myself.

How can Italian brands better serve the community during/outside of Pride Month? 

Be more proactive, and actually work with professionals of the community, really push artists and creatives throughout the year, not just during Pride month. In the current political climate it is very important to put members of the community in these spaces for representation.

Eleonora Sabet, Artist

Tell me about your opinions on pride marketing in Italy. Is it progressive ? Does it serve any purpose ? 

Pride is a celebration but at its base there is a matrix of claim to existence, to recognizing and condemning the violation of basic human rights. I think the underlying problem of Italian marketing during pride Month is the lack of awareness, the one that allows you to be a proper ally.

Are there any Italian Pride campaigns throughout the years that have stuck in your head? 

Unfortunately, no. 

What has your experience been like as a creative working with brands on Pride projects ?

Unfortunately, I’ve had negative experiences.  After creating content in line with the person I am, for Pride Month, the content was ignored until the end of the month and then not published. The response I was given was they had problems with the timeline, and when the month was over they were no longer interested … It was proof that some brands use queer people and the theme of pride to clear their conscience. Companies should understand that you have to talk about the LGTBQI+ community during the rest of the year as well, people's identities are not a trend, you have to recognize that when a queer person provides their voice they are telling a personal experience that they live, for better or worse, every day.

How can Italian brands better serve the community during / outside of Pride Month? 

By accepting that queer people exist independently of Pride Month. During the month it is crucial to convey the right messages while recognizing that support is important, but leaving the space for those who represent the community gives the right value to the cause. Even within creative or project teams the people in charge should be part of the community and as a result, include in marketing activities those who can represent it. Another issue on which we are far behind in Italy is intersectionality, the queer community is not only characterized by cis white men. 

Alessandro Merlo, Photographer

Tell me about your opinions on pride marketing in Italy. Is it progressive ? Does it serve any purpose ? 

Pride marketing is the same in every country and it always serves the same purpose, which is to make brands look progressive in the eyes of the consumers. Of course, brands don’t have to actually be progressive in order to produce Pride campaigns, they just have to perform their allyship with low cost marketing manoeuvres such as creating different colour packaging and logos. Pride campaigns are rarely followed through with meaningful support and betterment of the community’s conditions. 

Are there any Italian Pride campaigns throughout the years that have stuck throughout your head ? 

Unfortunately I don’t pay attention to Pride campaigns as they don’t feel genuine in any way shape or form. 

What has your experience been like as a creative working with brands on Pride projects?

I tend to not work with brands on Pride projects as I don’t want to be part of the process that exploits queer creatives to sugarcoat some brand’s image. I am tired of getting crumbs in exchange for my hard work and would rather be hired because I’m talented, not to check diversity boxes.

How can Italian brands better serve the community during/outside of Pride ? 

Brands should work with charities, hire diversity counselors, make donations, share most of the profit with the community, choose intersectional spokespeople, push for real political change. Basically, they would have to give monetary and cultural support to the community without getting anything back, which is something they would never do. 

Bex Gunther, Photographer

Tell me about your opinions on Pride marketing in Italy. Is it progressive ? Does it serve any purpose ? 

I think Pride marketing in Italy, is a mix of virtue signaling and good intentions, sometimes misguided, sometimes constructed powerfully and well.That being said, I believe Italy needs Pride marketing more than ever. With the knowledge that brands often hop on the bandwagon in order to sell products, the space they give our community is important. Sometimes progress isn’t perfect, but every little step forward takes us to where we want to go.

Are there any Italian Pride campaigns throughout the years that have stuck throughout your head ? 

I always appreciate the work Calvin Klein does with the queer community here in Italy! They make space for queer artists and creators like not many do.

What has your experience been like as a creative working with brands on pride projects ?

Mostly great, some not so good experiences. I’ve had brands ask me to take out kisses between my wife Denise and I in videos because “their clientele wouldn’t understand”.  But then you see the videos they do with other heterosexual collaborators and there’s no restriction on physical affection. Also, I’ve heard some horrible comments on set, comparing a model to the trans community, in a way that was meant to be an insult. The best collaborations are when brands ask you to participate in a collaboration that gives back to our community either financially or by creating space for our voices, throughout the year, not just June.

How can Italian brands better serve the community during / outside of Pride? 

Hire queer people outside of the month of June. When you do approach us, offer us a good rate. Not only do you hire us for our creativity, social media presence and our ties to our strong community but we represent a more progressive and inclusive future for your brand, which is priceless. Ensure that your brand or organization has queer voices in the room. 

Roberto Patella, Photographer

Tell me about your opinions on Pride marketing in Italy. Is it progressive ? Does it serve any purpose? 

Pride marketing in Italy: I have to say I haven’t seen very much of it.  Of those that I have seen it isn’t progressive/inclusive to demonstrate the breadth of diversity that exists within the queer community. I believe that it does serve a purpose however in keeping the conversation going.

What has your experience been like as a creative working with brands on Pride projects?

So far, I have had positive experiences. All of which have been centered around art and culture. Personally it’s been a pleasure. I do know of others, however, having been told to dial down the queerness. 

Are there any Italian Pride campaigns throughout the years that have stuck throughout your head ? 

ATM [Azienda Trasporti Milanesi, ed]. They have a tram covered in the rainbow flag that circulates around the city of Milan. Again, we have evolved the flag to integrate all colors of the queer community. So not all inclusive. But it’s a start.

How can Italian brands better serve the community during / outside of Pride ?

Make space for queerness behind the scenes, in their offices, in the chairs that are making the big decisions. But this is the obvious. What really needs to happen is addressing the root: ignorance. So creating an educational plan to inform those who aren’t exposed, about the community and it’s importance to world history, the now and where we are headed.