Today, the Ad Council released the latest iteration of its Emmy-Award winning “Love Has No Labels” campaign, showing audiences that love has the power to overwhelm hate. Highlighting real instances of empathy and unity, the public service advertisement (PSA) demonstrates the power that intentional acts of love, kindness, allyship and support can have to counter bias and hate.
With the backdrop of current division and escalating hate, the new creative developed pro bono by R/GA, offers a more hopeful reality – one grounded in the idea that even in the most difficult times, love can triumph over hate. Not ignoring the fact that hateful messaging is ever present in society, the PSA attempts to reframe the conversation around hate to showcase the power of choosing love can have on a community.
“The world can often feel overwhelmingly full of division, hate and bias, but we hope our PSA reminds people of our shared humanity and reinforces the power we each have to create a more compassionate, empathetic and inclusive society,” said Ad Council Chief Campaign Development Officer Heidi Arthur. “We hope that the real stories in our PSA show that we all have the potential to drown out hate by choosing love at any given moment. Even small acts of love and inclusion can make a big impact.”
Built around the idea that love can and should be louder than hate, the film from “Love Has No Labels” is grounded in the fact that while hate may be loud and undeniably hurtful, it only accounts for a fraction of sentiment online – the majority is fueled by love, according to research from R/GA. The PSA celebrates real examples of inclusion, love and support across identity labels and drives audiences to lovehasnolabels.com. At the “Love Has No Labels” website individuals are encouraged to learn about issues of bias and discrimination, understand what actions of allyship are meaningful to different communities and support organizations that are looking to create a more equitable, inclusive and just world for communities who have been historically marginalized.
WATCH THE PSA: https://youtu.be/_jjpBWl83SE
“The Love Has No Labels campaign platform continues to be a testament to the important work from the Ad Council,” said R/GA Global Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Tiffany Rolfe. “Through the lens of our shared humanity, this latest PSA has never been more important — with hate constantly filling our social feeds — something our diverse team is unfortunately all too familiar with. It’s vital to remind all those affected by hate that there is an abundant amount of love out there. We are honored to continue this essential work with the Ad Council.”
The new creative will run in donated space and time provided by media, with pro bono support from Publicis Media to secure targeted placements to extend the campaign’s reach.
“Love Has No Labels'” brand partners Bank of America and WWE, in addition to funding the campaign, can show their support during the year through online and offline activations including social messaging, custom content creation, employee engagement, events and more. “Love Has No Labels'” nonprofit partners include a cross-section of organizations actively involved in making the world a better and more equitable place for specific communities. These partners – AARP, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), American Immigration Council, Color of Change, Disability:IN, GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign, National Women’s Law Center, Perception Institute, The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and UnidosUS – provide expertise and resources, powering the “Love Has No Labels” movement to promote diversity, equity and inclusion of all people across race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability.
Since the campaign’s initial video was released in March 2015 there have been over 34 million U.S. visits on lovehasnolabels.com and the campaign’s videos have exceeded 430 million online views. Those who are aware of Love Has No Labels PSAs are significantly more likely to have taken action to prevent discrimination or prejudice (88% ad aware vs 62% non-ad aware), according to a survey commissioned by the Ad Council and conducted by Ipsos, Public Affairs.
To learn more, visit lovehasnolabels.com, join the campaign’s social communities on Instagram, Facebook and X, view campaign creative on YouTube and visit the campaign shop.
The Ad Council
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action and accelerating change around the most pressing issues in America. Since the non-profit’s founding, the organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, “Love Has No Labels,” Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, gun safety, the opioid epidemic, skill-based hiring and other critical issues, the Ad Council’s national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, and employer programs, among other innovative strategies to move the needle on the most important issues of the day.
To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, and view campaign creative on YouTube.
R/GA
R/GA is a global digital design and experience agency, part of The Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), across the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia-Pacific. We help brands and businesses define, envision, and create a more human future through our core practices, including media, connected communications, product and experience, brand relationship design, brand design consultancy, and specialized offerings like R/GA Health and R/GA Ventures. For more information, please visit rga.com.