Young Hero offers a platform for LGBTQ+ artists and brands to join forces and collaborate on creative projects and branded content
Creative youth-culture agency and production company Young Hero has launched PRIDE 365, a new initiative targeted at increasing brand support for LGBTQ+ artists year-round. PRIDE 365 offers a platform for LGBTQ+ artists and brands to join forces and collaborate on creative projects and branded content, all year long, beyond the concentrated focus during June’s Pride Month celebrations.
Argentinian artist Baby Yors helped kick off PRIDE 365 with the initiative’s first project in collaboration with NOMO SOHO, live musical performance and interview filmed from the hotel’s penthouse suite, and a social media face filter.
“Once June ends and brands take down their rainbow logos, many artists in our network and LGBTQ+ colleagues in the field have expressed frustration with companies losing interest in their creative work,” shared Roberto Max Salas, President and Co-Founder, Young Hero.
“As a company, we always champion diversity and raise visibility for talent from traditionally underrepresented communities, and to further aid LGBTQ+ creatives, we’ve developed PRIDE 365 as an ongoing resource for brands to get involved and support the community.”
“It isn’t about showing support, it’s about giving support,” said Baby Yors. “Historically, during Pride – and often only during Pride – brands have tended to be more performative than the performers themselves. So many artists have a real vision and truth to express, and if brands listened to us more and offered more persistent support, we’d have the opportunity to reach wider audiences and change global perspectives. Don’t just invest in us as rainbow flag logos or window dressings; invest in us as what all true artists are: shapers of culture. Culture shapers are needed everywhere, and the launch of PRIDE 365 is a great stride in the right direction to help inspire brands to create greater visibility for LGBTQ+ artists.”
Following his initial performance, Baby Yors is about to start shooting several music videos in preparation for his album release this fall. The next PRIDE 365 projects currently in development include fashion designer Jacques Abgogly’s SS22 Black Boy Knits CAPSULE 2 collection, aiming to launch during NYFW 2021 in September, and a short film by filmmaker Junting Zhou.
