While the mainstream beauty industry has taken great strides towards queer representation over the last few years, LGBTQ+ inclusivity in beauty advertising still remains a weak spot. When it comes to most ad campaigns and beauty promotions, the LGBTQ+ community is still largely underrepresented.
Thankfully some hair brands, like Pantene, are working to help change this fact. As part of their ongoing #BeautifulLGBTQ series, the haircare brand has joined forces with Getty Images and Dresscode Project to launch #StyleWithPride—a new campaign designed to encourage real LGBTQ+ representation through hair in marketing and advertising. Working with Getty Images’ Custom Content photographers from around the world, Pantene will be creating a gallery of real representation across all LGBTQ+ spectrums that will be accessible to all.
According to Pantene, “less than 1% of the most popular visuals at Getty Images feature an LGBTQ+ person and when they are included, those depictions are often stereotypical or one-dimensional.” That’s why, with their #StyleWithPride campaign, the haircare brand is committed to making the LGBTQ+ community feel beautiful and represented by offering a more authentic picture of how they uniquely are. Through collaboration with Getty Images’ photographers, Pantene will ensure that the gallery celebrates the range of hairstyles used to express oneself.
“Marketing and advertising images surround us every single day, and so many members of the LGBTQ+ community can relate to not feeling seen or represented in these images,” said Brent Miller, Global LGBTQ+ Equality & Inclusion for P&G. “Hair is such a powerful tool for self-expression, yet this often isn’t captured in traditional advertising which tends to often focus on stereotypes or visual shortcuts. Our goal with this campaign is to encourage brands to showcase beauty in its many forms and celebrate all the ways hair can be used to feel like the best, most authentic version of yourself.”
“Our ongoing VisualGPS research affirms that the most recalled depictions of the LGBTQ+ people are stereotypical, that’s if they’re even seen at all,” said Tristen Norman, Head of Creative Insights for the Americas at Getty Images. “This campaign provides an opportunity for us to play a part in celebrating the diversity of self-expression within the queer community, and ultimately help change the prevailing narratives to help fuel better, and more inclusive visual storytelling across all forms of media.”
To really help support this mission, as part of the campaign, Pantene will work with Dresscode Project to ensure authentic representation, as well as offer an opportunity for stylists of the LGBTQ+ community to contribute to the program. The haircare brand will also work with GLAAD to support their Visibility Project which aims to drive and sustain LGBTQ+ representation in marketing.
In addition to these partnerships, Pantene will also be donating $1 to Dresscode Project for every photo shared using #StyleWithPride to reinforce their commitment (*up to $100,000). According to Pantene, this campaign is the latest in support of their mission to represent, celebrate, and make the LGBTQ+ community feel beautiful year-round.
“Traditionally, the hair and beauty marketing industry has been based off stereotypes and biases related to the idea of gender being binary. This campaign allows us to shine a light on the diversity this community uses to express themselves, while challenging stereotypes in the media,” shared Kristin Rankin, Dresscode Project. “For many in the LGBTQ+ communities, their hair journey is immensely persona and being able to see themselves and all the different ways hair can be used for self-expression will allow them to feel celebrated and help break these biases.”
The #StyleWithPride gallery is available now and will be accessible for all brands to leverage. To access some of the amazing images, please be sure to visit https://custom.gettyimages.com/lgbtqguide/p/1.
