Somewhere over the rainbow

No more rainbow washing. It’s time for a new direction in pharma

During Pride Month, awareness of LGBTQ+ issues are pushed to the forefront.
Rainbow flags are everywhere, casting becomes more queer-coded, and stereotypically queer health issues such as HIV and PrEP are given a spotlight.

This isn’t inherently bad, but brands need to improve the ways in which they are supporting and speaking to the LGBTQ+ community. These forced, less considered campaigns do not have the desired effect.

Spotlighting marginalised communities through Pride Month activations is important, but reports show that less than half (44%) of surveyed LGBTQ+ patients feel pharma ads reflect their experience. For certain subsets of the LGBTQ+ population, even fewer people felt represented.

The figure drops to 36% of female LGBTQ+ patients, and just 23% of genderqueer patients.

The lack of year-round visibility combined with the overcompensation during Pride Month leaves brands open to accusations of ‘rainbow washing’, which in turn erodes trust among the LGBTQ+ community. The question is how can brands change this?
The first step – to acknowledge that there’s a problem.

Brands must recognise the importance of change. The dangers of ignoring this step are obvious and well documented, especially outside the pharma space.

The Burger King ‘Pride Whopper’ campaign, featuring same-side buns to symbolise same-sex relationships, was criticised for trivialising LGBTQ+ identities and reducing them to a simplistic analogy (one that failed to communicate the commitment they sought to demonstrate).

Similarly, Uber Eats’ ‘Bottom-Friendly Menu’ campaign aimed at gay men, with playful yet overtly sexualized messaging, was seen as reinforcing stereotypes rather than serving as an authentic celebration of the community.

Both are examples of attempts at inclusion that backfired when not executed with a full understanding of the community.

These campaigns illustrate that without a deep and genuine knowledge of the communities they aim to represent, brands risk appearing performative.

This lack of genuine sentiment leads to rejection, as audiences perceive these efforts to be superficial and exploitative rather than sincere and supportive.

While these campaigns became the source of frustrations for the queer community, a larger implicit message is felt too, one akin to what Nick Levine wrote in VICE magazine: ‘if you’re waiting for corporations to actively support LGBTQ+ communities during any month other than this one, well, good luck with that.’

Relevance matters for LGBTQ+ communities and beyond.

Younger consumers prioritise social responsibility in their purchasing decisions. Brands that are authentically relevant to their experience enjoy a loyal customer base – one that values ethical and inclusive practices.

For older generations, seeing authentic representations that mirror their own life experiences promotes enfranchisement, which may have eluded them in the past.

Where campaigns haven’t been outright criticised, a pattern of not seeing the broader LGBTQ+ community has still resulted in cliche advertising and stereotypical storytelling.

As an avid Ru Paul’s Drag Race watcher, I am exposed to many adverts tailored to the LGBTQ+ community. While the commercial content is primarily directed towards gay men, it often targets a more stereotypical subgroup, within this very large and diverse community, not necessarily reflecting my own or many other gay men’s experiences.

There is also a large focus on HIV prevention and PrEP. I applaud the message of PrEP awareness and product spots, but I can’t help but feel that many casting decisions and scenarios seem manufactured to satisfy a stereotype checklist.

First, stop seeing LGBTQ+ issues as a campaign – make them integral to your brand.
We need a more in-touch, consistent and dedicated communication with the LGBTQ+ community through our advertising.

This will have two primary benefits – people will feel able to access medical help with less anxiety about doing so; and brands can tap into previously underserved markets, expanding their reach and increasing profitability.

Second, stop seeing queerness as a monolith.

It’s crucial to ensure that marketing and outreach efforts include diverse representations of the LGBTQ+ community, encompassing people of different races, genders, sexual orientations and identities. It’s a community of a wide range of individuals rather than a monolith. The more voices, the better.

For example, with PrEP, a more effective and representative campaign would focus on a variety of stories that reflect the various reasons someone might choose to take PrEP – highlighting themes like empowerment, peace of mind, community responsibility, and integrating PrEP into regular self-care routines. This would advertise PrEP for a larger population.

Third, stop playing it safe.

Often, this is due to a lack of understanding, and ‘playing it safe’ when dedicating budget to LGBTQ+ issues, through fear of audience backlash or getting it wrong.

Finally, hire teams who understand this audience.

The answer for brand managers is to be as courageous as the community they seek to reach. Hire teams who understand these specific audiences and allow them to guide you to authentic, important communications.

Positive change can come from the right comms.

There is a lot of opportunity to improve the relationship between LGBTQ+ communities and the pharmaceutical industry. If genuine, a brand can cement its understanding of its customer by reflecting its understanding of who its customers are and what they stand for.

This genuine allyship is earned and the messages communicated in service of it can be a force for positive change.

Some brands have become intertwined with much larger socio-political causes, which has helped customers to progress their existing ideas.

For instance, PrEP and TASP transformed the perception of living with HIV for generations of people who lived through the 80s and 90s.

There are countless other ways how the right message can change the perception of the LGBTQ+ experience for the better. It is time to stop rainbow washing, and to start creating meaningful campaigns.

Charlie Lora is SVP Group Creative Director at minds + assembly.
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