Manila, Philippines – As the month of June draws to an end, the observance and celebration of Pride Month is still on a roll in the country, a society that despite the growing movement to recognize the LGBTQIA+ community, still experiences stigma due to the conservative Catholic nature in the country. As a result, many in the LGBTQIA+ community tend to say ‘sorry’ for who they are.
Such is the message the Philippine arm of e-commerce platform Lazada aims to put across in its latest campaign in celebration of Pride Month.
Released as part of its newest short film series ‘Apology’, the first campaign shows three separate instances of members of the LGBTQIA+ community being stared down or perhaps misjudged, prompting them to say ‘sorry’. Then, on a positive note, the campaign shifts to its core message of understanding others, self-acceptance and love.
The film series is directed by esteemed filmmaker, Pepe Diokno.
“We at Lazada Philippines believe that Pride represents values such as inclusion and unity that should be embraced every single day. For 2021, we wanted to continue encouraging Filipinos to do their part in nurturing a culture where diversity is celebrated, inclusion is valued, and respect is championed,” said Neil Trinidad, chief marketing officer at Lazada Philippines.
As part of its Pride Month celebration, Lazada Philippines will bring together and spotlight talented artists from the LGBTQIA+ community through a series of live streamed events with ‘Pride is Alive’ from 23 to 27 June. From a live fashion and drag show to a make-up tutorial session and live talk sessions, consumers can enjoy a series of celebrations with film director Antoinette Jadaone, writer and actor Juan Miguel Severo, chef and author Clyde San Pedro, Cebu fashion designers, and drag queens Eva Papaya, Ms. Letket, Precious, Eken, Turing & Bench.
In addition, Lazada Philippines also teamed up with platform LoveYourself, Inc., to showcase a special Milkwear x LoveYourself Pride Month capsule collection where all proceeds from the sale will benefit LoveYourself, Inc.’s HIV awareness and free-testing projects.
Noel Evasco, head of partnerships at LoveYourself Inc. adds, “We are grateful to have this partnership with Lazada that allows us to not only be able to expand our reach to more people but to also continue spreading the message that now more than ever, we need to do our part in nurturing a culture that allows people to thrive authentically as they are.”
