These Brands Promoted Diversity and Wellbeing
Effectively telling authentic stories that connect with real people means infusing diversity, inclusivity, and equality not only through the narrative and content of a marketing campaign, but through how a brand functions internally as well. A brand can't truly promote DEIB without fostering it internally or creating initiatives or movements that help diverse communities.
The latest In-House Excellence Awards showcase campaigns that prioritize wellbeing and the importance of wellbeing for all. Below are some award-winning campaigns that are pushing for a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable society.
Indeed
Job search platform Indeed created its "Rising Voices" campaign to support BIPOC film directors in the film industry by investing $100,000 in 10 films. To do this, the company partnered with executive producer Lena Waithe and her production company, Hillman Grad. The films then debuted at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, followed by a panel.
Furthermore, the films were available to watch on Amazon Prime globally, and the ANA case study also explained that Amazon committed to "a $1 donation [for every stream] to Goodwill Industries International, ultimately exceeding the set goal by three times. This marked just the beginning of their journey, as the films continued to be showcased at festivals worldwide."
Aflac
Aflac launched its "Close the Gap" campaign initially in 2021 as it wanted to shed light on medical and health disparities; as part of this movement, the company created an animated film, The Park Bench, to tell this powerful story in a moving way in 2022.
As the company reported, medical debt "affects close to 50 percent of Americans and disproportionately impacts communities of color." Its Aflac Care Index study also showed "that 63 percent of Americans' savings are equivalent to or less than their health insurance out-of-pocket maximum, 24 percent of insured Americans have $0 in savings, and just 48 percent have $1,000 or less in savings," as relayed in the ANA case study.
Aflac's film tells the story of Bella, a young girl, whose father has sickle cell disease. The film goes on to show her meet a duck with a broken wing, and she "brings the duck home, and over time the duck fills a void in her family with laughter and joy. When the family is whole again and Bella's father appears looking healthier than he has in months, Bella and her parents walk the duck back to the park and say goodbye, leaving him to join others flying south for the winter. As he flies off into the sunset, the family knows they are stronger after surviving this tragedy."
The film was streamed on Aflac's Twitch channel, and a media campaign included paid social and influencer partnerships (such as with Gabrielle Union and rapper Nas).
PepsiCo
bubly launched its "Coming Home" campaign to promote the importance of safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people through a film. To maximize viewership, the brand partnered with YouTube to help leverage CTV device-targeting, as the brand sought "to reach viewers who were more likely to watch the long-form content. This approach ensured that PepsiCo could reach the most relevant audiences in a tuned-in, large-format ad environment — perfect for a two-minute film," as explained in the ANA case study.
Citi
To help promote inclusivity for transgender and nonbinary people, Citi created its "Chosen Name" program in 2020 as a way to give this community the choice to have their chosen names on their credit cards. The program was expanded in 2022 to include debit cards; to spread the word, the company partnered with actress, singer, and LGBTQ+ advocate Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.
The new campaign was launched during Transgender Awareness Week as a way to kickstart conversation between trans and cis-gendered people. Further, during the company's "Citi Inspires Speaker Series," Michaela Jaé Rodriguez spoke about the meaning of her name, and being true to herself.
Bai Boost
Bai Boost's mission focused on combating sexism and harassment in gaming. The brand leveraged Twitch and partnered with two streamers to co-create its own Good Energy chatbot named Geny. The chatbot would "intercept any unsavory language and convert it into a donation for Take This, a mental health organization supporting the gaming community. The results? Positive messages for over 44,000 viewers, hundreds of intercepted comments, and $25,000 raised for a good cause," as stated in the ANA case study.
In addition the Twitch partners, @KittyPlays and @Krystalogy, discussed their own experiences as female gamers and shared mental health tips provided by Take This, illustrating the power of discussion and shared vulnerability.
CVS
To promote better work/life balance, CVS created its "Meeting Manners" campaign to combat work stress. Besides reintroducing its Focus Fridays (when there are no meetings between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.), the company promoted its idea of "meeting manners" as a way to use time more effectively.
As part of this effort, the company sent a weekly email newsletter that discussed the movement alongside a funny video. The email also shared resources to help and encourage work/life balance.
Truth Initiative
Truth Initiative's "This Is Quitting" campaign aims to help people quit vaping by illustrating the positive effect that quitting has on mental health as well as by providing resources. The organization shared research that reported that "81 percent of young vapers tried vaping to alleviate stress, anxiety, or depression, unaware that vaping nicotine could worsen mental health. However, 60 percent of current vapers expressed a desire to quit."
To help, the campaign captured real people telling their stories to inspire others to quit; the organization also created a 24/7 text support service.
Check out other In-House Excellence awards here.
Joanna Fragopoulos is a director of editorial and content development at ANA.
The views and opinions expressed in Industry Insights are solely those of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the ANA or imply endorsement from the ANA.