<ul><li>In a Pride Month special, we invited <keyword id="9445997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="vicks-mom">Vicks Mom</keyword> Gauri Sawant and Ajay Vikram, CCO- Global Clients, Publicis Singapore for a #BTSwithInsider chat. </li><li>Vikram walked us through the ideation process, execution and Sawant, on the other hand, shared her experience of becoming a star overnight. </li></ul>Since it is June, the most colourful month of the year, for last week’s episode of BTSwithInsiders, we decided to look back at an advertisement that changed the definition of motherhood in India and made us relook at our ideologies -- Vick’s Touch of Care. Normalising trans motherhood in India, Vicks initiated a conversation everyone else was afraid to have. It highlighted how motherhood goes beyond biological ties with transgender activist Gauri Sawant, who also runs an NGO called Sakhi Char Chowghi. It showcased her real life story of bringing up a girl. Conceptualised by Publicis Singapore for Procter &amp; Gamble, the video shows how Gayatri, at the age of 6, loses her biological mother, a sex worker, to HIV AIDS. It ends with Gayatri vowing to become a lawyer so that she can fight for equal human rights and build an equal environment for her foster mother. Ajay Vikram, CCO- Global Clients, Publicis Singapore walked us through the ideation process, execution and Sawant, on the other hand Vicks Mom Gauri Sawant shared her experience of becoming a star overnight. Here is what they said: <div type="twitter" handle="admediainsider" handlename="Advertising and Media Insider India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1268418343238635521/lelrmGKf_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3" retweetcount="3" status="#BTSwithInsiders | Ajay Vikram (@aj3v), CCO- Global Clients, @PublicisWW &amp; @PublicisIndia along with Transgender Ac… https://t.co/tq9crO8365" createdat="1592562459000" id="1273925403824893952"></div>

How starring in an ad helped Vicks’ mom Gauri Sawant gain overnight stardom

<ul><li>In a <keyword id="168821" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pride-Month">pride month</keyword> special episode of Influencer Adda, we talk to <keyword id="2465534" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sushant-divgikar">Sushant Divgikar</keyword> aka Rani Ko-He-Neur.</li><li>They are an LGBTQIA+ activist, a psychologist, one of the most beloved drag queens in the world and an amazing singer.</li><li>Sushant talks to us about their journey in the entertainment industry and social media world so far, how brands can move beyond tokenism, building an inclusive culture inside the organisations and using social media to make drag a more accessible and respected art form in India.</li></ul>Actor, psychologist, LGBTQIA+ activist, <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword> Content Creator, one of the most beloved drag queens in the world and an amazing singer -- Sushant Divgikar clearly wears many hats. Even though they have pretty much tried everything, Sushant still feels that they have a long way to go and many new areas yet to explore. <div type="Video" msid="83943614" hostid="261" title="Sushant Divgikar on how can brands lead the pride movement and be better allies" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=83943614"></div> They started their journey 15 years ago by starring in a car advertisement as a model that was about inclusion in different careers, then did an advertisement with Abhishek Bacchan for Idea and their most recent short film was with <a href="https://youtu.be/L1u-ol6SK0o">Netflix</a>. It was after 20-25 advertisements that Sushant got a call to star in a television show and the rest is history. Today, Sushant Divgikar has 1.1 million followers on Instagram. <div type="image" title="sushant divgikar in Idea" msid="83926024" hostid="261"></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Beginning of Sushant’s career: struggles and silver linings" text="Beginning of Sushant’s career: struggles and silver linings">Beginning of Sushant’s career: struggles and silver linings</cmsannotation> After their MA in psychology, Sushant wanted to be a psychologist but TV opened up a different line of career for them. Sushant took us back to the day when they started working. “Back then, not a lot of people were out of the closet. I didn’t go to the auditions saying that I am gay or non-binary. I went to these auditions as an artist. There were people who were accepting of this, who judged on the basis of the role -- whether the person auditioning fits the role and it didn’t matter to them what gender they are or what’s their colour. At the same time, there were people who were severely homophobic and transphobic. They said things that would get them cancelled today but back then, it was a norm to make fun of marginalized communities. So today, when I see representation improving, it really warms my heart,” shares Sushant. But it wasn’t always easy for Sushant to find roles that they wanted to do. They weren’t offered good scripts with real work that represented the queer community as it truly is. Sushant told us about their first horrible audition. “Brands now think 'I am not too gay or too non-binary' to sell their products. In my first audition, I walked into the room and I was told 'Oh no no, we don’t need you. You are too gay for this.' It was for a toothpaste brand. What do you mean too gay for this role? I might be gay but even gay people brush their teeth and I have beautiful teeth. Product and the artist shouldn’t have a gender associated with it. So, are you telling me that there is a special transgender toothpaste that I should use? Or do you drink straight coffee? But people have started understanding it and they are evolving every day.” “I am still using that product after 16 years,” confessed Sushant with a chuckle. Sushant believes that social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and Facebook have played a huge role in helping people across the spectrum voice their opinions. Highlighting how social media is a silver lining for queer folks, they added, “It is so beautiful that we have the power of social media today; there are so many queer people who have the power of creation, which we didn’t have when we were 16. Today, young queer artists and people have the power to put their content out there for the world to see. So of course, times have changed, technology has advanced and society is constantly changing. Things can only get better from here.” Sushant told us that they now wish they hadn’t done a few TV projects when they started out. They wanted to use this platform to apologise to those who were affected by the content of a judging TV reality show they were a part of. “Let me take this opportunity to apologise for doing content when I was younger. I didn’t have a choice, I got sh*tty scripts but I had to take up at least one show a year to pay my bills. For queer people, we didn’t have scripts at all that respected us or normalised the conversation -- they only sensationalised it. We were in the background then, we were clapping or begging or cast as sex workers. These were the roles I got. I always asked that there so many transgender people who are lawyers, doctors, engineers; Why don’t we show their journeys? I had done a show where I was judging people for what they were wearing. So I feel sorry about that. But today if I get a script like that, I will tear it and throw it in their face,” says Sushant. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Making drag more accessible" text="Making drag more accessible">Making drag more accessible</cmsannotation> Sushant’s drag alter-ego Rani Ko-He-Neur, is trying to make drag a more accessible and respected art form in India. She is training young drag queens, kings and artists and using modern tools to spread awareness. Rani Ko-He-Neur was officially born in a club called Kitty Su and got her first break in a singing television show in 2018. She lives by RuPaul’s words, “We are all born naked and the rest is drag.” <div type="Youtube" id="I35OkBVrGmw" title="Rani Ko-he-noor - Sushant Divgikar performs at Kitty Su" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/I35OkBVrGmw/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Telling us about why drag needs more acceptance in India, Sushant says, “When I look at newer artists and performers, I don’t see their gender. I just see their talent. Drag has a very big cultural reference in our mythology and heritage. We haven’t given it as much importance because whatever challenged gender stereotypes, heteronormative outline of society, patriarchy and toxic masculinity, we brushed a lot of that under the carpet. At the end of the day, if you brush so many things under the carpet, it would become tough for you to walk on that carpet. So, I wanted to change all these notions. Through drag, I wanted people to understand that there are so many intersexualities in gender. I use platforms like Instagram, print, television, film to help people understand there is not only ‘male and female’ and art has no gender. We shouldn’t comparmalitise art by saying that ‘a woman shouldn’t do martial arts and men shouldn’t do Bharatnatyam.’ So, I wanted to challenge that. Drag in India is also a very big political statement because it challenges people to realise that you have sidelined an entire community of crores of people.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Queer representation in advertising and marketing" text="Queer representation in advertising and marketing">Queer representation in advertising and marketing</cmsannotation> Pride month is coming to an end and brands this year have been rather quiet. The conversation was limited to social media, we are yet to talk about equal LGBTQIA+ rights on traditional platforms such as television or out-of-home. Even on social media, it is more about jumping on a trend, changing logos or the most ‘woke’ act you can expect from a brand today is to launch a limited edition merchandise for queer folks. Only a few brands try to move beyond this tokenism. Sushant has played an active role in educating people around them and especially in the marketing industry, one campaign at a time. On how brands can be true allies, Sushant tells us, “I really believe that these people who pink-wash or rainbow-wash, should really go see the ground level work that people are doing. If you are not a part of that change or revolution, then please take your marketing strategies and sit on it. We are not interested. We don’t need you to say that you will create a rainbow filter for us. We need you to walk the talk and be good allies. You should treat people with respect, give them equal playing grounds, equality in payments, equity at the workplace and then you can put a rainbow filter. But if you put a rainbow filter and expect us to give you our money, I don’t wanna buy all this sh*t.” Advertising industry is also infamous for perpetuating stereotypes and furthering sexist ideologies to some extent. Several artists have spoken against straight actors playing LGBTQIA+ roles in the industry. There are still cis-gender, heternormative people playing queer in ads and then most of these ads are made by cis-het men. “It wasn’t until OTT platforms entered into our country that we spoke about superficial work in Bollywood. So many directors and artists got a platform to show their authentic artistry, which was not fabricated. Times are changing but we have perpetuated these stereotypes, made fun of transgender people and celebrated songs that say ‘ye tangdi kabab hai’ in Bollywood. We have celebrated abuse. So let’s start by asking these questions to ourselves. Till we don’t revolt and say stop with this dirty content because we don’t deserve it, we don’t need it and we are not here for it -- till we put our foot down as consumers and stash it, we will have to keep watching stupid cinema,” says Sushant. For them, Vicks’ ad starring Gauri Sawant is that piece of work that got everything right. Sushant is now eyeing to work with Zoya Akhtar and Vidya Balan. While they have developed a screening process by now and can afford to say no to problematic ads, Sushant is open to working with small brands and artists as well. “I just wanna work. I don’t care about how big the brand is, as long as their messaging is clear, doesn’t harm anyone in any way, aligns with what I believe in, then I am working for you. It could be Rs 10,000 or 10 lakh, I am open to working with you,” tells Sushant. Sushant also gave a beautiful piece of advice to young artists on Instagram and other social media platforms. “Do what you want to do, with all your heart and conviction because when you put your soul in it -- it will surely be a masterpiece. If somebody gives you constructive criticism, it is your choice whether to take it or not. Even if you ask for it, they will only give an ‘opinion.’ That opinion shouldn’t be the narrative of your reality. You have to write your reality. Just go ahead with your purity and authenticity of your content, take that plunge and just fly. The world is such a big place, don’t restrict yourself,” says Sushant. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="83404425" title="Ranveer Allahbadia on finding his true calling, learning from his mistakes and goal to collaborate with Virat Kohli" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Sushant Divgikar on how can brands lead the pride movement and be better allies

<ul><li> For years, talking about the queer community was a taboo in the Indian advertising industry. Today, while there have been some path-breaking campaigns in acknowledging the community and giving them a voice, a lot more still needs to be done.</li><li>To mark <keyword id="168821" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pride-Month">pride month</keyword>, we look back at some of the iconic advertisements that initiated an early conversation in our country, which were still a taboo back then and created a ripple effect by bringing to light some of the issues that LGBTQIA communities continue to face. </li></ul>The month of June is observed as Pride month all over the world, which is a movement that brings the entire LGBTQIA+ community together to spread the message of equality in all spheres of life, including the right to love. However, where are Indian brands? It has been 17 days since pride month began. Apart from the rainbow-coloured logos on social media, no brand has mustered the courage to normalise the whole spectrum and initiate a concrete conversation. Since many Indian brands have failed to give the community a voice through their campaigns, to make the queer community a part of their daily life conversation and step out of their comfort zones, we decided to look back at some of the iconic advertisements that were created by brands who dared to speak up and break some taboos. These ads created a much-needed ripple effect in our country and started a conversation around issues that the community goes through. They simply reminded the audience that they care about queer community’s existence by acknowledging and representing different kinds of humans -- conveying that India is stepping out of its closest. Here are a few of our favourites: Fastrack’s The Closet Way ahead of its time, Fastrack’s ad was quite special for India. It was the very first brand in India to show a lesbian couple. It encouraged the youth to come out of their closet of comfort and speak up, metaphorically. In this commercial, the doors of a cupboard open, and two young women walk out, adjusting their clothes and hair. “Come out of the closet”, urges the advertisement and ends with Fastrack’s now famous tagline, “Move On.” <div type="Youtube" id="fmk9D53G6F8" title="Fastrack - The Closet" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fmk9D53G6F8/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Anouk’s The Visit Myntra’s ad for its ethinic wear brand Anouk was probably one of the first ads in India that attempted to normalise different sexual preferences, without looking at them through a lens of judgement or for sake of tokenism. Created by Ogilvy India, this ad left you mesmerised by the beautiful portrayal of pure love that can happen between any two people. <div type="Youtube" id="Ef27m5ocK6Q" title="ANOUK, BOLD IS BEAUTIFUL - A Wonderful Video Titled &quot;THE VISIT&quot;" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ef27m5ocK6Q/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Vicks’ Touch of Care Normalising trans motherhood in India, Vicks initiated a conversation everyone else was afraid to have. It highlighted how motherhood goes beyond biological ties with transgender activist Gauri Sawant, who also runs an NGO called Sakhi Char Chowghi. It showcased her real life story of bringing up a girl. Conceptualised by Publicis Singapore for Procter &amp; Gamble, the video shows how Gayatri, at the age of 6, loses her biological mother, a sex worker, to HIV AIDS. It ends with Gayatri vowing to become a lawyer so that she can fight for equal human rights and build an equal environment for her foster mother. <div type="Youtube" id="7zeeVEKaDLM" title="Vicks - Generations of Care #TouchOfCare" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7zeeVEKaDLM/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Brooke Bond Label’s 6 Pack Band The 6 Pack Band was a story of six transgender singers from Hijra community, which is commonly ignored by most and misunderstood by all. However, this song concentrated on what they rejoice about being queer and trangenders instead. It was an initiative created and driven by Y-Films, the youth wing of Yash Raj Films, to help further the cause of gender equality in India. This campaign also brought home the coveted Grand Prix in the Glass Lion category at Cannes. <div type="Youtube" id="blvOBnSRfVc" title="Hum Hain Happy - 6 Pack Band" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/blvOBnSRfVc/mqdefault.jpg"></div> The Times of India's Out and Proud On September 6, 2018 the Supreme Court of India decriminalised section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. With this judgment, the gay community got a legal nod to sexual rights. While the laws have changed for the better, we still witness negative attitudes towards the LGBTQIA+ people. The Times of India in collaboration with FCB India was one of the large-scale campaigns that was launched to celebrate this historic milestone. Its campaign aimed to empower the members of the queer community to live a dignified life with acceptance and pride. It lent a medium to a community whose voice was buried for generations. It brought to light the discrimiation they face every day and reminded them how they always ‘had a place in our hearts.’ <div type="Youtube" id="-p8DFP1Tn1s" title="Times Out &amp; Proud" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-p8DFP1Tn1s/mqdefault.jpg"></div> OkCupid’s #LoveAtFirstPride Another brand that celebrated striking down of article 377 in 2018, OkCupid, digital campaign #LoveAtFirstPride acknowledged love beyond binary identities. The idea behind the campaign was to cherish the freedom for all gender identities and this has been captured in the video with the LGBTQ community answering questions like ‘How much would you reveal about yourself on a first date? ,‘What are your views on moving on with your partner?’ and ‘What are your thoughts on PDA?’. The campaign was launched in the middle of the pride month and in less than a week, it received an overwhelming support of over a million individuals spread across platforms. The campaign is aimed at spreading the message of equal representation of different sexual orientations. <div type="Youtube" id="IwDW6x0bezs" title="OkCupid’s #LoveAtFirstPride is a Shout Out to Every First Stride Taken With Pride" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IwDW6x0bezs/mqdefault.jpg"></div> While all these ads revolutionised the industry in their own ways, legacy brands still shy away from including LGBTQIA+ community in their functional ads or an everyday sales ad. ‘Sexuality’ is still used as a plot twist in ads when we should be moving beyond tokenism and to normalise it further, we need to start including them next to a cis gender couple.

Pride Month: Campaigns that started conversations and sparked change in India

<ul><li>In the last feature of our <keyword id="168821" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pride-Month">Pride Month</keyword> series, we look back at the past of advertising, speak to the LGBTQIA+ community from the industry on which ads they resonated with, its evolution thus far and how can the industry further drive change in society at large. </li><li>They said a lot needs to be done and change can only come when the insiders of the ad industry step into the shoes of these people, empathise and help normalise. </li></ul>While every day should be Pride Day, June brings along an opportunity for us to sit and reflect on how far we have come, try to recognise and unlearn the biases, acknowledge the struggles that LGBTQIA+ people went through and to start normalising the conversation. After the Supreme Court scrapped Section 377 in India in 2018, a lot of brands came forward to celebrate the landmark judgement. However, the momentum went down in 2019 and this year, when brands have more time than ever to really reflect on their values and speak about issues that matter, this June, the discussion around equality went further below. Apart from the <keyword id="9479124" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rainbow-washing">rainbow washing</keyword> on social media and a few campaigns by OkCupid, Tinder and Instagram, this pride month was rather disappointing. While globally, the LGBTQIA+ representation-momentum is only growing, India is still way behind. This silence is speaking a thousand words, indicating that traditional Indian brands are still closeted. So we decided to reach out to the LGBTQIA+ community from the ad industry and look back at the campaigns that started a conversation that everyone else was afraid to have, trace the industry’s progress, discuss how they wish to be represented in the future and how advertising can drive change. Ads that sparked change OTT platforms have allowed directors and writers to create content with no filters and break out of the conventions of love stories and gender roles. There is more representation now than ever before. However, it is only during the pride month that there is a sudden bombardment of rainbows and brands remember that LGBTQIA+ are also their consumers with purchasing power. Shekhar Mhaskar, Chief Growth Officer, Isobar India says Indian advertising industry still has a long way to go. When asked what are some of the Indian ads that he liked or resonated with, Mhaskar said, ‘None. At least not from India in 2020.’ He explained, “Indian advertising is yet to come a long way. Got to be bolder than ever. While advertisers in India want to be in the race to show that they accept the LGBTQIA+ community in a lot of ways, the advertisements or the creative are still 'indicative' by using mnemonics of such relationships, viz. using rainbow colours; using the gender symbols, so on and so forth. It needs to be bolder, in your face (without bordering any sexual innuendos, though). To give an example, look for the ad ‘Imagine a World’ by SodaStream, or a few others that are part of the 2020 Super Bowl series where real-life gay talent has been cast - Jonathan Van Ness, the nonbinary star of Netflix’s Queer Eye, speaks about the virtues of Pop-Tarts and Drag Race stars Kim Chi and Miz Cracker filmed a commercial for hummus. As also the Amazon Alexa ad where Ellen and her partner Portia are at centre stage.” Amit Kekre, National Strategy Head, DDB Mudra Group shared a few ads that he liked from the many that have been launched over the years. “Vicks' Touch of Care campaign busted the stereotype of gender. It changed the definition of motherhood by saying that motherhood is an emotion independent of gender. In my mind, it was one of the sincere efforts and insight into the transgender community and questioned the very restrictive, hetereonormative framework of gender that we as a society are used to looking at. It was profound story-telling on the part of LGBTQIA+ community. DDB Mudra also worked on a campaign for Levi’s that tried to convey that they are more than just their sexuality, which I loved. Often enough the conversation around queer community centers around sex or sexuality but we are more than that so Levi’s tried to convey that our lives are more than just our sexuality,” said Kekre. How can ad industry become the torch-bearer of change? As an industry, advertising is known to lead to change. It can use its influential power in mending belief systems and uprooting regressive thoughts. It can bring about normalisation and make people embrace the entire spectrum. However, are we really using it tactfully? Kekre says change takes time. He said, “Change is a gradual process, especially in a society like ours where deep-rooted stigmas are the background that we operate in, change is even slower to come by. And not just advertising, brands and businesses at large lead change. Change comes in two parts: culture outside and internally, brands need to embrace change within their own ecosystem. So while advertising is consumer-facing does the part of story-telling and changing attitude at a large cultural level, within the organisation -- I feel there is a lot that needs to be done. From a passive acceptance, we need to move to active invitation that makes an announcement to the community that we are open for you to come in. It means not just policy and structural changes, it means tying up with organisations that help you identify talent from this community.” DDB Mudra has introduced an internship program specifically designed for the transgender community that helps them ease into the organsation because they are the most marganlised community and need more attention in terms of sheer livelihood. Jay, Creative Producer, Kinnect also suggested looking on the inside, recognising biases and talking about the stories out of the box that we have been stuck in. She said, “Advertising is a powerful industry that can drive change by reaching out to the masses at once. We have the potential but we have some way to go. As people who are in positions of making decisions about what consumers see, I do think we need to relook at our personal biases and understand that our society is very tightly pound by these gender roles, expectations of what a man and a woman are supposed to be, what relationships should look like -- once we open up our minds to a perspective free of these rules, we will be able to see that there are so many beautiful stories that deserve to be told. I wish these queer identities are represented outside of the pride month also. Everyone is a consumer and they should be spoken to all the time. Once brands approach inclusiveness as a given, rather than a singular campaign brief, I think that will be real change.” Mhaskar suggested stepping into the shoes of the queer community and understanding their woes and challenges. There is a need for empathy, not sympathy. He said, “There’s a lot to be done, a massive lot. India as a country is conservative and hypocritical. Agencies and corporations should openly and honestly promote inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ folks in the workforce and give them the same rights and privileges as everyone else. The policies are not meant to be in the books for keepsake. Those need to be brought out and applied without someone having to ask for it. Hope you get the drift.” Brands have a responsibility to the community and they should aim to not only promote themselves, but address larger social issues throughout the year.

Pride Month: How ad industry can drive change in the society

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e45a9e73b62b76ed8720616-2000/untitled%20design%2031.png" alt="mike bloomberg social media memes" />Mike Segar/Reuters; Mike2020/Twitter; DrGrayFang/Instagram<ul class="summary-list"><li>Michael Bloomberg's presidential campaign has been using a unique social-media strategy to attract younger voters to the Democratic hopeful.</li><li>Over the last few months, Bloomberg's campaign has paid and partnered with popular Instagram meme accounts and micro-influencers to create content.</li><li>Part of the campaign's success has been its specific strategy for each social platform. Doing that requires significant investment, something Bloomberg and his campaign is more than willing to pay.</li><li>Donald Trump made a name for himself during his 2016 campaign for his strategy on Facebook, where he spent $20 million of flooding users with hundreds of thousands of ads.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Michael Bloomberg may have gotten a late start in the presidential race, but his campaign is hoping that a distinct - and eyebrow-raising - approach on social media will help the Democratic hopeful gain some ground.Photos of Bloomberg's <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike2020/status/1217254115132235776">face in a meatball</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike2020/status/1217282699666296833">shoutouts to Tostitos</a> tortilla chips have baffled the public. Twitter posts <a href="https://app.asana.com/0/home/1128817793888960/1159661919404305">about Lady Gaga</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike2020/status/1217254916651126786">Secret Service codenames</a> drew concerns that his campaign account was hacked (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-bloomberg-campaign-tweets-democratic-debate-2020-1">it was not</a>). It wasn't clear whether <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike2020/status/1222324982786797568">a video showing Bloomberg</a> with a carton of Big Gay Ice Cream was a sponsored post, or Bloomberg just sharing how much he likes the popular New York City ice cream chain.But if any of these unusual social media posts have caused you to take a pause or screenshot to send to your friends, Bloomberg's campaign has done its job, according to his national spokesperson Sabrina Singh.Singh recently told Business Insider how the campaign is using an "unconventional" approach to wooing over young voters by not just posting on social media, but putting up content that gets people to respond or take notice of the 78-year-old former New York City mayor. Bloomberg can afford to spend, with <a href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/michael-bloomberg/#4d5d87ad1417">an individual net worth</a> of more than $62 billion. It's at least 10 times more than Trump was worth during the 2016 election, <a href="https://www.mic.com/articles/154630/donald-trump-s-net-worth-2016-here-s-what-we-know-about-the-candidate-s-personal-finances">which was estimated</a> between $3 billion and $5 billion. <h3>A strategy of oversaturation</h3>Bloomberg seems to be replicating the social-media strategy made famous by Trump, who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/28/donald-trump-facebook-ad-campaign-2020-election">spent nearly $20 million</a> to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-other-advertisers-spending-most-on-facebook-political-ads-2019-11">inundate Facebook</a> users' feeds with hundreds of thousands of fear-mongering and fact-bending ads. However, Bloomberg has spent even more than Trump in order to widen his campaign's approach to cover a wide berth social media - and dictate different strategies for each platform that are proven to be effective in going viral. While Bloomberg's Twitter thrives on content just weird enough that it could get users to share it thousands of times, his Instagram presence has harnessed its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/influencer-marketing-report">multi-billion dollar influencer marketing industry</a> to figure out what users want.Since launching his campaign in November, Bloomberg has spent big to make his online presence known. He's <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/after-iowa-muddle-bloomberg-to-double-ad-spending-11580858187">poured in more than $300 million</a> on ads across TV, radio, Facebook, and Google - more than the four other leading Democratic candidates have spent combined.At one point earlier in February, Bloomberg's team was spending an average of <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/bloomberg-spends-big-challenge-trump-his-home-court-facebook-n1135791">more than $1 million a day</a> on ads for Facebook alone."You want people to feel like it's not just a canned generic statement they're getting," Singh told Business Insider. "We're not only engaging with folks online, but trying to reach them on any platform that meets their needs."But Bloomberg's social-media strategy team - made up of a "diverse" and "innovative" group of employees from the 2020 campaign and from Bloomberg's little-known tech firm Hawkfish, according to Singh - has gone beyond distributing a steady stream of zany tweets and messages.<h3>Influencing influencers</h3>The flood of Bloomberg-sponsored content has been noticed across Twitter, Instagram, and other popular platforms. According <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bloomberg-bankrolls-a-social-media-army-to-push-message-11582127768?mod=hp_lead_pos2">to the Wall Street Journal</a>, the campaign is shelling out $2,500 a month to more than 500 workers, who are expected to send weekly text messages to their phone contacts and make daily posts on social media that voice support for Bloomberg.As first reported by <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/mike-bloomberg-is-paying-influencers-to-make-him-seem-cool-9?ref=author">the Daily Beast's Scott Bixby</a>, the Bloomberg campaign recently tried to recruit smaller influencers to create original content for the team. Bloomberg's campaign offers a fixed $150 fee to produce social media posts that "Show+Tell why Mike is the candidate who can change our country for the better, state why YOU think he's a great candidate," according to a post on influencer marketplace Tribe.Under <a href="https://www.tribegroup.co/toc">Tribe's influencer guidelines</a>, participating influencers are obligated not to "parody, disparage, give any adverse comment or make fun of" the brand they're employed by - in this case, Bloomberg.More recently, some of Instagram's most popular meme accounts were targeted. With more than 60 million combined, several meme accounts dropped sponsored posts promoting Bloomberg en masse, as first reported by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html">the New York Times's Taylor Lorenz</a>. Each account posted <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bloomberg-2020-campaign-instagram-memes-tank-sinatra-fuck-jerry-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">a very meta screenshot</a> of what appears to be an Instagram direct message conversation with Bloomberg, in which he requests a sponsored post, or shares a dad humor-type joke, or flaunts how much money he has. It's an rare approach to political campaigns on Instagram. As a result, Instagram has had to roll out new rules specifically for influencers doing sponsored content for political campaigns. Instagram told <a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz/status/1228328801744162816">NYT's Lorenz</a> that influencers will now be required to uses the platform's branded content tags and tools to clearly indicate their posts are paid.Although the meme blitz <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html">has gotten praise</a> from some, it doesn't appear everyone is sold by Bloomberg's strategy. Another popular meme account, The Fat Jewish, commented on the sponsored post on Tank.Sinatra's Instagram: "Tank you're a beautiful man, but this is an L."<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e46b5b13b62b77670445c69-873/memes.jpg" alt="mike bloomberg campaign influencers memes" /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8fR4xnlqw6/">Instagram</a>"Mike Bloomberg 2020 has teamed up with social creators to collaborate with the campaign, including the meme world," Singh <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/13/style/michael-bloomberg-memes-jerry-media.html">told the New York Times</a>. "While a meme strategy may be new to presidential politics, we're betting it will be an effective component to reach people where they are and compete with President Trump's powerful digital operation."<h3>Working the system</h3>It's unclear what kind of impact the Bloomberg campaign's tactics have had on younger Democratic voters, who have a field of eight presidential candidates to choose from. Bloomberg <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/elections/democratic-polls.html">has risen to fourth place</a> in the Democratic race in national polling, and has since qualified for a spot on the Democratic debate stage <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-to-watch-for-in-the-nevada-democratic-debate-11582108201?mod=article_inline">for the first time</a>.The combination of memes, influencer outreach, and an outlandish social-media presence gives the impression that Bloomberg and his team want to show he doesn't just understand millenials; he gets Generation Z. Bloomberg has also taken direct aim at Trump in his campaign posts, as Democratic voters' displeasure with the Republican president roars ahead of the November election.As an example of the unique approach of Bloomberg's campaign, Singh pointed at <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike2020/status/1225566201079848960">the campaign's Twitter post</a> during the State of the Union that showed Trump talking alongside an animated dancing gingerbread man engulfed in flames.Bloomberg 2020's social-media strategy has been emphasized most when the former governor has pushed his stances on social policies, such as climate change and LGBTQ rights. On the day in January that Bloomberg took to Twitter to roll out position on LGBTQ equality, the Bloomberg campaign posted a puzzling 10-second video."Where's my ice cream?" Bloomberg asks <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike2020/status/1222324982786797568">in the video on Twitter</a>. Someone off-screen hands him a pint of ice cream from <a href="https://www.biggayicecream.com/">Big Gay Ice Cream</a>, a New York-based ice cream shop known for its bright-colored signery and offerings.<a href="https://www.mikebloomberg.com/policies/lgbtq">On his website</a>, Bloomberg has promised expand health care for LGBTQ individuals and address hate crimes toward the community. Bloomberg's campaign <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacMizrahi/status/1229812419641389063">shared a video</a> Tuesday pledging the candidate's support of LGBTQ youth. The same day, a 2019 video <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/dominicholden/michael-bloomberg-2020-transgender-comments-video">uncovered by Buzzfeed News</a> showed Bloomberg referring to transgender people as "it" and a "guy wearing a dress."To end his short video on Twitter, Bloomberg takes a bite of ice cream, and looks right into the camera."Mmm ... Big Gay Ice Cream is the best."<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/stories-slide-deck?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=socialmedia&amp;itm_campaign=stories-slide-deck"><img src="https://static.businessinsider.com/image/5bd375adcd6f3842155a1a29" alt="Exclusive FREE Report: The Stories Slide Deck by Business Insider Intelligence" style="width: 100% !important" /></a><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Test your political knowledge: SPOT THE MEATBALL THAT LOOKS LIKE MIKE. <a href="https://t.co/CkzdgwpzdI">pic.twitter.com/CkzdgwpzdI</a>- Team Bloomberg (@Mike2020) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1217254115132235776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Mike not only reduced the number of uninsured by 40%, but also passed out free jars of Vicks VapoRub to people on the subway. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BloombergFacts?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BloombergFacts</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DemDebate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DemDebate</a>- Team Bloomberg (@Mike2020) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1217282489158393856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote> <iframe src="//instagram.com/p/B8fLyStAKJ4/embed/" width="540" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"> </iframe> <iframe src="//instagram.com/p/B8fVtgAhOGr/embed/" width="540" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"> </iframe><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">😍🏳️‍🌈🍦 <a href="https://twitter.com/biggayicecream?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@biggayicecream</a> <a href="https://t.co/ftKPL9oRsy">pic.twitter.com/ftKPL9oRsy</a>- Team Bloomberg (@Mike2020) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1222324982786797568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2020</a></blockquote>

You Searched For "vicks ad transgender" and got 5 results

How starring in an ad helped Vicks’ mom Gauri Sawant gain overnight stardom

BI India Partner

Sushant Divgikar on how can brands lead the pride movement and be better allies

Karuna Sharma

Pride Month: Campaigns that started conversations and sparked change in India

Karuna Sharma

Pride Month: How ad industry can drive change in the society

Karuna Sharma

Inside Mike Bloomberg's bizarre strategy to dominate social media that's dwarfed Trump's 2016 efforts by millions of dollars

Paige Leskin