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VMLY&R shows the power of listening with the Proud Pronoun Project
A new project aims to empower individuals to select and share their personal gender pronouns as a Teams or Zoom background.
Nicola Kemp
Editorial Director Creativebrief“Identity is sacred” April Marshall, Art Director at VMLY&R explains, adding that “for the LGBTQ+ community, especially those who identify as transgender/trans*, this is doubly true.”
Marshall is explaining the thinking behind VMLY&R’s Proud Pronoun Project, a website where individuals have the option to select their personal gender pronouns and produce a beautiful illustration to display as a Teams or Zoom background in meetings, to inform the people they work with every day how they should be identified.
According to Marshall, The Proud Pronoun Project is a bold, and needed, step in normalizing acceptance of all identities- including in the workplace. She says: “We do not live or work in a binary world. This campaign is something that I am thankful to be a part of, and it is my hope that this can start conversations and keep “pride” at the forefront- not confining it to just a day or a month.”
The site provides options for all cis, transgender and non-binary individuals to select their pronouns ranging from he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs or zi/zir/zirs - or any combination of the 24 options on the site. A diversity that was core to the team because of their belief that an individual’s choice goes to the very core of their own identity.
A creative response to a cultural crisis point
According to the 2015 National Transgender Statistic Survey, 35% of employed adults reported being fired, denied a promotion, or experiencing mistreatment at work because of their gender. Around one in five adults knows someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns, according to a 2019 Pew Research report.
While Millennials – who will represent three quarters of the workforce in 2025 – are more likely to identify as LGBTQ (20%) than previous generations Generation X (12%) and Baby Boomers (7%), according to a 2017 Harris Poll conducted for GLAAD. Gen-Z is even more likely to say they know someone who prefers gender-neutral pronouns (35%) than Millennials (25%), according to the Pew Research study.
The team behind the campaign believe that correct pronoun usage is a business imperative as the risks of not getting your employee experience right will diminish the ability to attract and retain top talent. A 2020 Harvard Business Review article pointed out often “companies that are LGBTQ+-friendly usually focus more on the ‘LGB’ than on the ‘TQ+’.” The team behind the campaign believes that organizations will do themselves a huge disservice by ignoring these shifting gender norms.
We do not live or work in a binary world.
April Marshall, Art Director at VMLY&R
The power of active listening
In the wake of the pandemic active listening has rightly risen up the business agenda. Yet at a time when employees are physically disconnected, employee resource groups have been key to building inclusive and therefore creatively successful companies.
Notably, this campaign was both brainstormed and produced by VMLY&R’s LGBTQ employee resource group (ERG). The group is a global employee-led group with the shared goal of creating a place of belonging and safe space for all employees to express themselves across the world. Notably at VMLY&R these group’s ares fully-funded, backed by executive support, and empowered to create programmes to drive forward both culture and awareness.
Suba Nadarajah, executive global director, diversity, equity & inclusion at VMLY&R explains: “Our usage of gender pronouns at VMLY&R wasn't just informed in a vacuum. It was created through the process of open conversation from people of the LGBTQ+ community along with allies, and the conversation is still being had. It will never stop. Because the act of becoming more empathetic and inclusive is always evolving. We, as a company, will always continue to listen, learn, unlearn and grow along with it.”
A creative response
To bring the campaign to life VMLY&R’s LGBTQ ERG teamed up with illustrators, Lauren Phillips and Frank Norton to produce the artwork. They are encouraging individuals to display their preferred pronouns across social platforms as well as backgrounds on video platforms such as zoom.
Paul Boupha, copywriter at VMLY&R, explained: "We wanted to create something that was simple, beautiful, yet really meaningful. It was a real labor of love that I hope sparks a conversation about personal gender pronouns for everyone, not just people in the corporate world. Like, if I Zoom my mom, and this sparks a whole new conversation we would have never had before, that's a huge win."
Whilst beautifully designed, the true beauty of this campaign lies in the fact that it is part of an ongoing movement; led by employees. The team’s ethos and commitment is clear, as they note: “VMLY&R will always work to ensure the realities around gender fluidity isn’t simply about building new policies, creating new internal systems, or pronouns in email signatures. It’s about understanding how gender norms and the binary affect everybody and reimagining how gender takes shape across the entire company, customer experience and brands.” A welcome reminder that often the best and most effective work is approached first and foremost as a work in progress.
To find out more about the Proud Pronoun Project click here.
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