Why M+C Saatchi and Bauer Media Outdoor handed their Pride campaign to the community
Europe – Proud (M+C Saatchi UK’s LGBTQIA+ employee group) and Bauer Media Outdoor have launched Pride is Everything, a multi-market out-of-home campaign running across Europe.
Rather than commissioning imagery, the campaign invited queer creators, community members, allies and families to submit their own photographs and stories. Disposable cameras were given to people around Europe to document Pride on their own terms. The resulting work spans joy, protest, family and everyday life, deliberately rejecting the homogenised portrayals that dominate Pride season.
In our Resilience Branding report, we unpacked how progressive businesses are choosing to reaffirm their commitment to inclusion by adopting new language rather than retreating from their efforts. Pride is Everything takes a different yet equally impactful approach: it hands visibility back to the people at the centre at a time when queer communities are increasingly being spoken about rather than heard.
Strategic opportunity
Which of your brand’s next campaigns could be built from the inside out rather than the outside in? Invite brand communities to participate or co-create to build deeper loyalty and more durable cultural credibility
Foresight Friday: Rodrigo Tobal Pereira, director of marketing
Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, director of marketing Rodrigo Tobal Pereira explores the cultural relevance of Madonna’s album launch and what it means for the future of discovery.
: This week, I attended MAD//Fest in east London. One of the standout talks explored the thinking behind Madonna’s comeback campaign for Confessions II. Natasha Billing, CMO at Warner Music Group, and Will Parrish from VCCP Media talked the audience through the creative process behind the campaign.
The team transformed Confessions II from an album title into a participatory creative platform. Creator collaborations and listening parties were held during Pride, and fan confessions were projected onto London landmarks. Every touchpoint extended the same narrative while inviting audiences to become part of it.
: This closely reflects insights explored in our macrotrend report The Future of Discovery which spotlights how discovery remains deeply rooted in identity, community and shared cultural experiences.
A key insight in the report is the need for brands to create shared, participatory experiences that restore presence and real-time engagement. Madonna’s listening parties, live Pride activations, fan confession installations and outdoor projections transformed discovery into something audiences could experience together.
Meanwhile, entertainment itself is becoming a primary discovery system. Rather than relying solely on advertising, the campaign used music, storytelling, creator partnerships, celebrity participation and fan experiences to sustain attention and encourage repeat engagement beyond the album release itself.
Partners can watch The Future of Discovery : On-demand Webinar now.
Quote of the week
‘Everyone here is a work of art’
Madonna, Danceteria, Confessions II
Stat: UK shoppers lose four working days a year expecting deliveries
UK – British consumers spend an estimated 32 hours a year – the equivalent of four working days –waiting for deliveries, according to new research from post-purchase and returns network ZigZag. The study found that 43% of shoppers rearrange their day or take time off work expecting parcels each month, with almost a quarter (22%) of orders arriving late or not at all.
For retailers, the findings underline how the post-purchase experience is becoming a key driver of loyalty. In the survey, 62% of respondents said they would stop shopping with a retailer after a poor delivery experience, rising to 64% following a poor returns experience.
As explored in our report Modern Burglary, economic pressure and retail crime are exposing vulnerabilities in the sector. Post-purchase uncertainty is emerging as another friction point, creating opportunities for brands to develop smarter, more resilient delivery and fulfilment experiences.
Strategic opportunity
Treat delivery and returns as loyalty-building experiences, and invest in communication, visibility and service rather than focusing solely on operational efficiency