“DE&I is in our DNA.” 

That’s from the entry of Terri & Sandy, a woman-owned New York agency that boasts 40% of its employees are either diverse and/or LGBTQ+. 

Its best-known purpose campaign, “Strands for Trans,” in service to trans-friendly barbershops and salons in conjunction with Barba Men’s Grooming, entered its sixth year with a twist called “Transphobe Takedowns.” The effort employed Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning entertainer Billy Porter to heckle the hairstyles of politicians such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz. 

Paid media cost: $500. Payoff: $2 billion in earned media and 10.8 million TikTok views.

Terri & Sandy also got topical in a campaign for baby boomer brand Aspercreme Dry Spray, literally dragging it into the cultural conversation. Touting it as a solution to high-heel pain, the spot featured Nicky Doll from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and dubbed her the “AsperQueen.”

“AsperQueens” gathered 30 million impressions and doubled the anticipated engagement rate, as well as raising the brand’s profile with stiletto-wearing Gen Z consumers. 

Not all of its purpose work is done for clients. The agency decided during the 2022 holidays to skip the usual greeting card and instead prepare a children’s book called “Santa’s Slay.”

Written in rhyme, it is the story of a little boy named James who yearns for tutus and tiaras but, fearing that isn’t appropriate, asks Santa for sports toys and video games. Santa reads his letter and, realizing something is amiss, comes up with a plan to allow the child to feel comfortable with his true self.

The book was accompanied by a donation to the Hetrick-Martin Institute, which supports LGBTQ+ youth.