The top 5 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to know about right now

Over the past month, brands and networks have leaned into collaborations around LGBTQ+ Pride and Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander heritage. These activations have taken the form of soccer leagues, therapy programs and new mini-documentaries. Ad Age has compiled five recent efforts that bring visibility to underrepresented communities. Check out more of Ad Age's Creativity Top 5 here. 5. Max Max has been honoring Pride Month with a host of themed events and partnerships. The recently rebranded TV streaming service launched an in-app Pride takeover of its LGBTQ+ Voices page highlighting queer content premiering in June, including the HBO documentary “The Stroll,” which tells the history of transgender sex workers in New York’s pre-gentrified meatpacking district in the 1990s. Max hosted an outdoor screening of “The Stroll” at Gansevoort Plaza in New York on June 5 in collaboration with NewFest Pride and Rooftop. Max is also organizing a June 17 Pride concert at Knockdown Center in Queens, New York. Sponsored by Max’s “Human By Orientation,” the concert celebrates the impact of queer musicians and the safe havens that queer clubs provide, featuring performances by Tinashe, Lido Pimienta, Pom Pom Squad, Zebra Katz and more. 4. Puerto Rican Alzheimer's Association The Puerto Rican Alzheimer's Association partnered with VMLY&R Commerce & Health to create a therapy program for Alzheimer’s patients in Puerto Rico. The program uses old advertising jingles—such as one from shoe retailer La Gloria, and another from the Department of Education, called “Mi Escuela,”—to bring back memories and ease symptoms of agitation in patients. VMLY&R Commerce & Health worked with the Spanish Broadcasting System to analyze over 80 years of archives and restore the jingles. 3. ReachTV Streaming network ReachTV and media platform Eastern Standard Times released a new micro-doc series for AAPI Heritage Month. “Modern Asians: Unique & Unified” includes 10 micro-documentaries that explore various cultures in Asia, featuring complex and broad-ranging themes from ageism and art to racism and fashion. “Asian people deserve to tell their own stories. For too long, the media has looked upon our community and told us who we are. It’s time to change that,” said Keshia Hannam, Eastern Standard Times’ editor-in-chief, in a statement. “Eastern Standard Times was created to challenge and celebrate narratives about Asian people and culture in the U.S. and throughout the diaspora. We put the microphone back in their hands, because we believe stories should be told by those who have lived them.” 2. Corona AB InBev brand Corona started a Mexican soccer league for prison inmates called “Second Chance.” Inmates competed for a chance to be recruited by a professional soccer club in Mexico, upon completion of their sentence, and this April, José Santillán was chosen. Santillán is expected to join the America FC next season. “Before, I didn’t know what I was going to do when I got out,” said Santillán in a campaign video. “Now I’m going to do what I love the most.” Corona developed the effort with the agency We Believers and in partnership with NGOs Reinserta and Comunial. 1. U.S. Bank A film from U.S. Bank and McCann Worldgroup tells the stories of young interpreters helping their families navigate and survive life in the U.S. The film, “Translators,” was screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York on June 13, following its premiere at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. “Connecting with our diverse customers means understanding the challenges that are unique to people’s lived experiences,” said Kai Sakstrup, executive VP and chief marketing and strategy officer at U.S. Bank, in a statement. “What we uncovered within the Hispanic community is how a language barrier was overcome through resilience, adaptability, the power of family and the drive to succeed. An obvious connection emerged between the brand’s ethos of powering human potential and the inspiring real-life journeys of Virginia, Harye and Densel. It’s been a privilege to tell their stories.” Park Pictures produced “Translators” in partnership with U.S. Bank, which is working to help close the racial wealth gap by making banking more accessible to everyone through new digital tools, resources and community engagement.

The top 5 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to know about right now

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