A symbol exposing the missing freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans
The campaign, led by VMLY&R, was supported by WPP companies BCW, The Corner Shop, Wavemaker, and Hogarth.
In 29 of 50 U.S. states, it’s legal to discriminate against LGBTQ+ Americans. The Equality Act would change that — providing blanket protections for LGBTQ+ Americans in every state. But most Americans don't know these outdated laws still exist. So, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the country, needed to grab Americans’ attention and urge them to tell their senators to pass the Equality Act.
The American flag, with its red and white stripes and 50 stars representing 50 states, is the ultimate symbol of freedom in the United States of America. But 29 states aren't living up to their promise of freedom for every American, so 29 stars had to come off the flag.
The HRC created “The Reality Flag," an American flag with 29 stars stripped away to represent the 29 states that still deny LGBTQ+ Americans their basic freedoms.
The HRC used the Reality Flag to launch a national 360-degree campaign across TV, radio, OOH, social and outreach to influencers. Every piece of Reality Flag communication drove to RealityFlag.com, where Americans could put immediate pressure on their senators to pass the Equality Act.
- 96% of US senators contacted by thousands
- 480M+ earned media impressions
- Coverage from media outlets including The Washington Post, Fast Company, USA Today, The Hill, Oprah, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Metro Weekly, Xtra and Queerty
- 3,200% increase in website traffic
- 11.6 million social media accounts reached
