TDC CALENDAR: JUNE 2021

INSPIRATION 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

Brands need to be transparent in how they are the assisting and supporting the LGBTQI+ community if they are claiming allegiance for Pride month. The world is woke to performative vs proactive marketing. We want to see brands being properly transparent in their motivations, making ally status a continuous core value for the greater good – not just for the month.

We see a lot of LGBTQI+ bartenders, but not that same degree of representation in higher profile brand positions. Historically, whisky has been dominated by cis-white men. This is slowly but definitely changing for the better with a younger, more diverse crowd and a formidable force of strong female BAs on the scene, and we love it. 

Cocktail QTs Collective is a London-centric LGBTQI+ network for those working within the cocktail and spirits industry, and it’s really inspiring to see these groups being formed.

There’s so much opportunity for brands in facilitating better representation and education within the hospitality industry. We strongly believe that if brands want a slice of the pink pound, they should be putting their money where their mouth is all year round, not just for the month of June. 

Changing a logo to a rainbow flag for one month of the year doesn’t help the greater cause. And tactically marketing without any authentic investment in driving change might seem commercially desirable, but in an age where consumers are choosing brands based on values as much as attributes, is it actually commercially viable?

We urge brands to go the extra mile and validate their one-month marketing strategy with ongoing year round love and support – for the entire LGBTQI+ community.

THE DRINK: THE SPLASH 🍸

We chose to centre our shot on a clear liquid to symbolise transparency, and give us the greatest platform for interaction of the coloured light. 

When it came to the drink, it just had to be a Martini. Vodka is a party spirit and loved by the queer community! We’ve used Absolut in our cocktail, acknowledging the brand as a front-runner when it comes to supporting the LGBTQI+ community all year round.

The inclusion of Riesling and Fino Sherry challenge convention, and shun sugary “pink and fluffy” stereotypes, for a drink worth celebrating.

60ml Absolut vodka
10ml Riesling
10ml Fino Sherry
Stir with ice, strain into a chilled glass and throw in a pickled onion

HOW WE SHOT IT 📸

The inspiration for this shot was Pride month, and avoiding the ubiquitous rainbow in favour of promoting trans visibility within the drinks industry.

We gave them literal and vidid visibility on our calendar by using the colours of the Trans Pride flag. The whole thing is brought to life with that really visceral motion of making a splash.

We used pink and blue gels either side of the glass, using the splash to cause disruption of these two colours in the liquid. Using a tripod, we were able to build up the image in layers: background, clean glass, garnish, and multiple splashes mask together to build drama within the scene.

The result is simple, powerful, and proud. Here’s to the future of the industry being a lot more colourful! 

Want to work with us on an authentic campaign strategy that champions the LGBTQI+ community? Give us a shout!