EuroPride: The Voice Of Change
EuroPride wanted to raise awareness for transgender rights ahead of their 2018 festival in Sweden. They needed to highlight that transitioning is still a crime in many countries. Akestam Holst was tasked with creating a powerful message that would resonate globally, targeting both the LGBTQ+ community and the general public to foster empathy and support for the right to self-expression.
Creative Idea
Stitched together voice recordings of a trans man's transition to create a shifting message.
To highlight the illegality of gender transition in 60+ countries, EuroPride recorded a trans man's voice over months of hormone therapy, stitching the clips into a single message that physically demonstrates his transformation and the human right to be oneself.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A platform dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights with access to authentic stories of transition and struggle.
Category
Pride events often rely on colorful parades and celebration, sometimes overlooking the harsh legal realities faced by trans individuals globally.
Customer
People who support equality but may not grasp the physical and legal hurdles involved in the transition process.
Culture
Increasing global visibility of trans rights and the growing tension between personal identity and restrictive international laws.
Company
A platform dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights with access to authentic stories of transition and struggle.
Category
Pride events often rely on colorful parades and celebration, sometimes overlooking the harsh legal realities faced by trans individuals globally.
Strategy:
Dramatize the physical manifestation of identity to challenge the legal suppression of personal transformation.
Customer
People who support equality but may not grasp the physical and legal hurdles involved in the transition process.
Culture
Increasing global visibility of trans rights and the growing tension between personal identity and restrictive international laws.
Strategy:
Dramatize the physical manifestation of identity to challenge the legal suppression of personal transformation.
Results
The campaign was a significant success, garnering widespread attention and acclaim. It achieved over 100 million impressions and was featured in major news outlets such as The Guardian, BBC, and CNN. The video received over 5 million views across social media platforms. The campaign's impact extended beyond media reach, with a 20% increase in EuroPride 2018 attendance compared to the previous year. It also won several prestigious awards, including a Cannes Lions Gold for Creative Effectiveness and a D&AD Yellow Pencil for Sound Design.
100M+
impressions
5M+
social media views
+20%
EuroPride attendance
Strategy Technique
Make the Invisible Visible
By documenting a private, months-long biological process and condensing it into seconds, the campaign makes the internal and often hidden journey of gender transition impossible to ignore or deny.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Unexpected audio
The campaign uses the biological evolution of Alex's voice as a visceral, auditory metaphor for transition, making the abstract concept of change a tangible and undeniable reality for the listener.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's craft is exceptional due to its innovative use of sound and its powerful, minimalist storytelling.
The seamless stitching of Alex's voice recordings over several months creates a powerful auditory representation of his transition.
The message is concise, impactful, and effectively conveys the campaign's core message of identity and rights.
The combination of the evolving voice and the minimalist visual style creates a deeply personal and resonant experience.
