There’s more than one way to do “political advertising.”

Marriage Equality: “I Want to Marry You in Minneapolis”
Creative & Brand Strategy, Content Development, Copywriting

Two years before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage rights for same-sex couples, Minnesota became the first state in the region to pass legislation protecting the freedom to marry for all citizens. Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak was a major proponent of marriage equality, and on the heels of the new law’s passage, he undertook a provocative effort to drive awareness of the issue through a competitive lens. The goal was to help leaders and constituents in other states understand how neglecting to honor same-sex marriage rights was not only a liability of conscience, it also created an economic disadvantage for local businesses who were missing out on the chance to provide all couples with related products and services.

I was proud to be a part of Rybak’s initiative by co-creating and shepherding the creative components he used to spread his message. I worked with colleagues at Zeus Jones and the Meet Minneapolis team to develop the “I Want to Marry You in Minneapolis” campaign, which invited a number of Minneapolis-based, LGBT-friendly vendors — florists, chefs, hoteliers, etc. — to voice their support for marriage equality on behalf of their shared community. We also consulted on the creation of a landing page experience that made it easy to find businesses who stood behind marriage equality. The effort attracted regional and national media attention, supported by in-person appearances in places like Chicago and Milwaukee where same-sex couples were still waiting to be recognized and empowered by their own state’s leadership.

Agency: Zeus Jones