For Some Brands, the Lifecycle of Pride Campaigns Has Changed

In the era of 'Heated Rivalry,' rainbow washing won't cut it

We’re at an inflection point. Trend-chasing Pride work is giving way to 360-degree storytelling and relationship-building from brands that actually mean it. Those brands planning Pride campaigns in 2026 are making a long-term investment, betting that fans will remember consistent, authentic support long after any swing of the political pendulum. 

It’s funny. The arc of a rainbow—or what we perceive to be an arc—resembled the lifecycle of a trend on social media. It begins, rises, peaks and then inevitably dies. When it comes to Pride marketing, we’re somewhere over the “summit.” That is to say, we’re past the rainbow washing that dominated brand profiles and feeds from 2019 to 2022. 

Instead, we’ve moved into the natural afterlife of anything popular, where those who participated beforehand still do so because it’s intrinsic to their DNA. And those who discovered meaning or identity in it during the zeitgeist zenith continue their support as well. The brands that stay in are the ones with Pride baked into who they are, not just what they post in June. The arc was always an optical illusion anyway; the real work now is a full-circle commitment to queer communities.

Currently, national support for same-sex marriage has declined from its peak of 71 percent in 2022 to 65 percent. Fewer brands are promoting Pride simply because their bottom line no longer benefits as much from doing so. It’s not in vogue for companies to be gay anymore.

But were they ever… lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual/aromantic? The mirage that resulted from every brand under the sun swapping their icon for a rainbow always seemed hollow. The queer community isn’t a monolith. Yet, the marketing often was. Though that was “OK” because even the lowest-hanging fruit allowed them to join and ideally benefit from the conversation. 

That doesn’t fly anymore with today’s even savvier consumer: Gen Z. 

Both a cause and effect, the 2026 version of Pride marketing dovetails beautifully with the rise of Gen Z’s buying power and influence. While this demo is spending less, they’re expecting more: community, transparency and authenticity. To them, rainbow washing would be the equivalent of the “hello fellow kids” meme—or, “hello fellow gays.” What works now is a more nuanced and meaningful approach from brands who put their money where their feeds are—especially if they have a history of doing so. 

Look at  Adidas’ “Love Unites” campaign, which has been running since 2019 and partners with Athlete Ally, a nonprofit LGBTQIA+ athletic advocacy group. Similarly, Abercrombie & Fitch launched a partnership with The Trevor Project in 2021 and continues to align its annual Pride collection with a donation to the NGO. And what do you know? Both brands are highly popular with Gen Z, according to Business Insider and Marketing Mind. 

The math is mathing, and the Pride is priding.

The window for this queer promotion and storytelling has also been blown wide open. While June still serves as a target for Pride as a heat-seeking missile, it’s not the only target. And the best, hottest proof point is the recent cultural phenomenon—and honestly for me, cathartic phenomenon—Heated Rivalry. 

While this demonstrated many truths (Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams are stars; ice hockey is the new it sport; cottagecore can be sexy), perhaps the most important thing it showed is that queer storytelling is evergreen and ever-popular. But not because it’s trendy, but because it’s needed.

Propelled by viral clips, fan edits, and social media chatter—something earlier queer storytelling and marketing couldn’t leverage—the show struck like lightning in a bottle. I’d argue, though, that its impact will act as a lightning rod for more and more content like it. Content that is proud to celebrate Pride, not just chase it like a random storm.

And what usually follows a lightning storm? A rainbow. The story writes itself.