As LGBTQ+ History Month gets underway, Oreo’s social drive and giveaway of its limited-edition #ProudParent cookies could capture the attention of allies online. With several Pride activities cancelled this year due to the pandemic, with its effort to encourage the inclusion of LGBTQ family members, Oreo has found other ways to attract customers. This involves the release of his short film, “Proud Parent,” which discusses the difficulties that people in this culture may face in obtaining parental approval.
The social networking giveaway and short film release are the recent instalments of the #ProudParent initiative by Oreo that started in June during Pride Month. Pride Month appears to have more brand campaigns than LGBTQ+ History Month does, but when the U.S. was in the middle of the pandemic and protests surrounding racial justice throughout June, marketers’ plans may have changed. A handful of LGBTQ+ History Month promotions have been launched, including the one around social influencers by travel website Orbitz showcasing virtual tours of queer-friendly firms, landmarks and towns.
As younger demographic segments show greater appreciation of gender diversity and prefer to embrace brands that show a commitment to social causes, marketers have increased their Pride-themed marketing in recent times. According to recent studies, pride-themed campaigns influence customer expectations about gender inclusivity.
According to a report by the advocacy group GLAAD and Procter & Gamble, representations of LGBTQ people in TV, film and advertisement help to promote acceptance among customers outside the group. The study found that people exposed to LGBTQ-inclusive media were 80 % more likely than people who had not recently encountered such media to be more supportive of equal rights.
During the advent of the pandemic, Oreo, whose parent company Mondelez saw an increase in demand for snacks and comfort foods, has been involved in numerous digital promotions over the past few years, usually for new flavours and brand extensions. Oreo held sweepstakes in January that asked individuals to vote on their preferred amount of frosting to use in their cookies.
On the social video app TikTok, the campaign featured a branded hashtag challenge that asked individuals to reveal their favourite amount of frosting. Before that, Oreo let individuals query Amazon Alexa, the virtual assistant of the e-commerce giant, about the latest news and flavours of the sandwich cookie without having to download a different voice-powered app. The cookie brand also cooperated on a Twitter promotion for new doughnuts and coffee flavours with Dunkin.
