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.

What if technology could help you and your local leaders communicate with each other more clearly, and more often? Government works better when more people can make their voices heard. It's time to change the way citizens and leaders talk to each other.

Agency: Zeus Jones