American Express Took Over New York With Its Pride Campaign
In case you missed it, June was Pride month - a period where LGBTQ+ people and their supporters celebrated the progress that has been made on the path to equality while also advocating for further change.
If you went on social media during June - and let's face it, who didn't go on social media during June - you're likely to have been confronted by more than one brand promoting Pride month with campaigns aimed at LGBTQ+ people. Many companies even have special Pride products for sale, including a special rainbow branded gin put out by the organizers of London Pride in the UK.
As experts in programmatic advertising, finance brand American Express had a great idea to make sure its own Pride campaign was seen by as many people as possible - and it wasn't through social media ads.
American Express
Dubbed "Proudly Backing" American Express supported Pride month in a variety of ways. However, seeing as New York City was selected to be the host location for WorldPride this year, the credit brand wanted to do something special for the Big Apple.
Singer, songwriter, and hip-hop artist Lizzo has had an amazing year with the breakout success of her debut album and being named in Adweek's top influencers of 2019 list. To celebrate Pride, Lizzo wanted to put on a special concert at New York's Times Square Edition hotel. American Express was chosen as the host brand for the performance, with tickets only available to holders of one of its credit cards. All proceeds were donated to the Stonewall Community Foundation, which supports the LGBTQ+ community.
"I've always stood up for inclusivity and been an advocate for underrepresented communities, and that's why I am so happy to help American Express launch their new 'Proudly Backing' campaign to send an important message of love and support to the LGBTQ+ community," said Lizzo in a statement.
The show was screened for the enjoyment of all New Yorkers on one of Times Square's iconic jumbotron screens. To add to the celebration, American Express used programmatic purchasing to take over hundreds of the smaller screens which lined the Pride parade route through the city.
Programmatic Pride
The screens are run by LinkNYC and were used to display messages of love and acceptance through rainbow-themed American Express advertisements. The screens and billboards were also used by American Express to display artwork from LGBTQ+ artists. The brand even purchased wall space on which a Pride-supporting mural was created.
Programmatic advertising enabled American Express to make sure these messages were where they needed to be and that the right people saw them. The Lizzo concert was exclusive to American Express card holders, but broadcasting the show to as many Pride revelers as possible showcased yet another advantage of the brand's use of programmatic buying. The screens and billboards which line Times Square and the other avenues of New York City are prime advertising real estate. American Express's use of them for this event demonstrated its dedication to getting the Pride message across in any way it can.
American Express also extended its marketing reach to small New York businesses which support Pride with an integrated map designed to draw shoppers to them. Part of its "Shop Small" program, the map gave New York's LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs a much-needed boost using American Express's significant marketing weight.
"Finally, American Express is partnering with the Stonewall Community Foundation for its first-ever LGBTQ+ Leadership Academy," reported Adweek. "According to the company, it will work to empower the next generation of leaders working in LGBTQ+ non-profit organizations and provide opportunities to network. Later this year, more than 70 leaders in this space from across the U.S. will be invited to the inaugural Academy where they will have the opportunity to learn ways to cultivate modern leadership challenges."
Final Thoughts
This year's Pride was significant as it marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which kicked off the movement for greater equality for LGBTQ+ people. While society has come a long way in terms of acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Massive brands such as American Express can use their financial backing and marketing strength to drive change and support movements like Pride. Thanks to programmatic advertising, American Express was able to make sure crucial messages reached the right people, in the right place, at the right time.