PepsiCo Bubly’s ‘safe spaces’ campaign plays it safe

The news: With its Pride Month campaign, PepsiCo’s Bubly brand is highlighting the need for LGBT+ safe places.

• The brand released a short film, “Coming Home,” about a nonbinary person finding a sense of community at an LGBT+ club, complete with cameos from LGBT+ celebrities.
• Bubly also worked with the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) to provide $100,000 to LGBT+ safe places hit hard by COVID-19.

In its release announcing the campaign, Bubly talked about how safe spaces are important to LGBT+ consumers seeking to escape discrimination or harassment while also providing a sense of community. But one has to wonder how daring such a campaign is in 2022 versus, say, 15 years ago. American consumers are largely pro-LGBT+ acceptance.

Zoom out: In its campaign, Bubly did not address the current US tide of anti-LGBT+ legislation.

• Companies like Apple are waging a battle against such policies, and Disney is one brand whose inaction over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ legislation in Florida landed it in hot water with consumers and employees.
• Among Gen Z consumers—a highly-coveted demographic—53.5% say they are more likely to buy a product/service that mentions LGBTQ+ acceptance, per TextNow.
• And with transgender and nonbinary individuals under particular fire in recent years, many consumers feel society does not do enough to support these individuals.

The big takeaway: Bubly’s campaign represents how consumer sentiment has changed dramatically with respect to the LGBT+ community in a short period of time.

• A campaign like this, though well executed, would have once felt daring; now, arguably, it even comes across as safe.

Go further: Read our Q&A with ​​Couplet Coffee on creating authentic Pride Month marketing.