P&G Unveils WorldPride & Mardi Gras Activation

Procter & Gamble (P&G) has announced its sponsorship of 2023’s Sydney WorldPride and plans for the second year of its three-year partnership as a major sponsor of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

The ongoing partnership to support the LGBTQIA+ community is grounded in P&G’s mission to create a company and a world where Equality and Inclusion is achievable for all; where respect and inclusion are the cornerstones of its culture; where equal access and opportunity to learn, grow, succeed and thrive are available to everyone. Equality and Inclusion is a core element of P&G’s business operations to make a meaningful impact for its employees, through its brands and partners, and within its communities.

Left to right: Kate Wickett CEO of Sydney WorldPride, Kumar Venkatasubramanian, senior vice president & general manager of P&G Australia & New Zealand
and Albert Kruger CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras

To bring this mission to life, P&G Australia is supporting the LGBTQIA+ community through several partnerships and activations in the coming weeks.

Alongside P&G’s sponsorship of Sydney WorldPride and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, P&G will provide donations from sales in major Australian retail partners to Minus18*, a LGBTQIA+ youth charity, providing anti-bullying resource kits to reach over 50,000 school students across Australia**.

Olay has announced it is partnering with Maria Thattil who will support Glow Up Your Own Way, an ongoing national campaign dedicated to destigmatising LGBTQIA+ issues and supporting greater self-acceptance and confidence. Maria will join Olay’s float at the Mardi Gras Parade on February 25, marching alongside over 70 P&G employees.

P&G is also partnering with Aboriginal artist, queer feminist and 2021 NAIDOC National Artist of the Year, Bobbi Lockyer, who has come on board as creative designer, developing P&G’s Lead with Love float for the parade, an interactive painting wall for Fair Day and in-store assets.

P&G recently released the award-winning documentary short film CODED: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker in partnership with Imagine Entertainment & Television, Delirio Films and MTV Films. The film explores early representation of LGBTQIA+ communities through arts and advertising. Brent Miller, CODED Executive Producer and P&G Global LGBTQIA+ Equality Leader, will join P&G Australia’s Sydney WorldPride activation to discuss central themes of the film including the importance of LGBTQIA+ visibility in art, media, and the world. He will be joined by Matty Mills (First Nations TV Presenter and Actor), Kate Wickett (CEO of Sydney WorldPride), Albert Kruger (CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras) and Amanda Lampe (Corporate Relations Director for Diageo Australia).

Kumar Venkatasubramanian, Senior Vice President & General Manager of P&G Australia & New Zealand, said: “As a key partner of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, we are proud to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community as part of our mission to ensure that respect, inclusion, and equal opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive are available to all. As a leading advertiser globally, we have a role to play in championing LGBTQIA+ visibility and are proud to create positive change in society.”

In partnership with Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Fairy, Gillette, Olay, Oral-B, Pantene and VÖOST will co-produce content to raise awareness about diverse issues faced by different members of the LGBTQIA+ community, thereby driving a call for action from the broader community to “Lead with Love”.

P&G’s co-produced Mardi Gras content will be rolled out between February and March 2023. The first piece of content is available here: P&G Australia: Lead with Love | Sydney WorldPride 2023.

Kate Wickett, CEO of Sydney WorldPride, added: “P&G have been meaningful, long-term supporters of the LGBTQIA+ community, Sydney WorldPride and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras over the years. The video series P&G have co-produced with Sydney WorldPride and Mardi Gras is a brilliant example of this, featuring LGBTQIA+ community members with an emphasis on underrepresented groups including First Nations, POC, people with disability and transgender people.”

Albert Kruger, CEO of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, said: “P&G and their respective brands cover so much connected to identity and expression, and the work we do together means a huge amount to Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and the local LGBTQIA+ communities. We’re proud to continue collaborating on the ‘Lead with Love’ video series and are excited to see the work done with Queer First Nations artist Bobbi Lockyer come to life at P&G’s Mardi Gras Fair Day activation and on their Parade float.”