"We are Everyone"- Primark Pride Campaign

To coincide with the launch of our "We Are Everyone" Pride campaign, we caught up with Marcelo Rodrigues, Buyer in Primark, who gave us some great insight into the behind-the-scenes of this year’s product range.  

Marcelo tells us why it was so important to create a product range designed with everyday inclusion in mind, made to be worn time and time again, and catered for all ages, so entire families and generations can all get involved.  

"When you work at Primark, you have the opportunity to get involved in so many different projects, but Pride has been the most special to me. Pride month is a time of the year to reflect on how far the LGBTQI+ movement has come and remember how many lives have changed, and continue to change every day, because of this important cause.   

Pride is a celebration, but it also reminds us of how we got the right to party and celebrate the LGBTQI+ community and what the rainbow flag represents. Part of these celebrations includes exploring our individuality, which is where fashion comes into play and contributes to a huge part of it.

When I started working with the team on this new collection, we wanted to make sure that there was a message behind the product range we were bringing to our customers. One of the most exciting things about being part of the fashion industry is creating a product that empowers our customers to express their true selves.  After a lot of research and brainstorming, we ended up with three key messages for our 2022 Pride collection.

"We Are Everyone" is our slogan this year. LGBTQI+ rights are human rights, and it is for everyone; the spectrum of the community goes beyond the rainbow, and the LGBTQI+ welcomes and embraces all minority groups to join the movement.  

Pronouns is also one of our focuses. Our identity and how we see ourselves is more and more becoming part of the conversation, and it can lead to changes in people's mindsets. Our scale as a brand will help to push this message even further, which I feel is essential.  

 The “Wizard of Oz" movie has had meaning for the community since the 80's. We carefully selected some messages from the movie that resonate with the community and their journey, like "Follow your own path" and "It's not where you go, but the people you meet along the way". We truly believe they summarise and represent the journey of the LGBTQI+ community.  Our community has evolved massively, and progress is still being made every single day. We must take time to celebrate all that has been achieved so far and keep moving forward with this momentum of change. Pride is more than a flag or a parade. Pride is a celebration of human rights, and we are here for it!  

I'm really looking forward to celebrating Pride with friends in person this year. It's been a long time since we were able to get together; so, double the number of celebrations is on the cards this year! The atmosphere will be amazing, and I can't wait to be in the centre of it all with my friends. I've my fingers crossed for sunshine - we've all really missed the buzz that Pride weekend brings, and I've got my outfit picked out already!"