Following the launch of True Name in the Netherlands in 2021, we had received positive PR sentiment but still gained many negative and hateful comments throughout social media. As outlined, Mastercard research conducted in 2022 showed the majority of nonbinary people had experienced discrimination or abuse and on consultation with members of the community we identified the importance of true inclusivity. To share creativity, collaboration and equality. Co-creating with the community and giving them a platform to authentically tell their own stories.

The creative idea was required to amplify and incorporate the True Name card feature and of course, include Mastercard’s global pride positioning “Being your true self: priceless”

The objectives were to:

- Position Mastercard as an active LGBTQIA+ ally and leader in financial inclusion in line with Mastercard's existing True Name card feature

- Raise awareness and broaden consumer understanding of the transgender and nonbinary community

The Pride Side is a podcast platform that Mastercard co-created with transgender and non-binary individuals, where we highlight the challenges they face daily in being their true selves.

Fred van Leer (TV-personality, 1.1M followers, and part of the community) facilitated raw conversations with trailblazers like:

Deen (13.4K followers) on gender identity and queer joy

Ma’MaQueen (50.3K followers) advocating for queer rights

Marie-Lea (2.8K followers) sharing trans experiences

Gia Bab (15.8K followers) on challenges as a trans woman

This collaboration provided a safe, judgement-free space for talent to participate, whereby members of the community were integral in the creation on-screen (our guests) and off-screen from initial concepting, consulting, photography and glam.

The creative idea speaks to and with the LGBTQIA+ audience who would benefit from True Name, whilst aiming to generate earned media interest via publications, social and distribution platforms to reach Dutch audiences and raise understanding of the community.

The key message, for all audiences, is that everybody has the right to be their true selves.

The key strategy to reach the transgender and non-binary audience was via LGBTQIA+ publications and the social channels of our host and guests – who had significant followers from the community. This was based on the insight that Mastercard would achieve the perception of amplifying and platforming if we collaborated deeply rather than exclusively ‘own’ the content.

For our more mainstream target audience, we focused on ages 18-45 without any specific interests, coming from the point of view that everybody can either learn, recognize themselves or find or feel allyship in this campaign. Earned and paid media was prioritized for this group.

A suite of audio, static and video assets were developed, tailored for each channel and guest. Video content was subtitled, with translations available on YouTube.

For optimal reach and momentum, The Pride Side was launched one month before Pride Amsterdam.

Each episode was released on the 4 biggest streaming platforms; Spotify, Podimo, Google Podcast & YouTube – the key distribution channels for the podcast.

Channel-specific assets were published across on Youtube, Spotify, Instagram and Facebook. The reach was further increased by syndicating assets to influencers and ambassadors. Personal key visuals were developed for influencers and ambassadors with their own handwriting and snippets from the podcast to be posted on their social channels.

Media reach was gained through 16 titles & clippings, and further supported by: in-podcast ads, DOOH and online.

Mastercard was participating in the canal parade, this moment we saw as the strategic celebration of the campaign. Campaign visuals on Mastercard’s boat during Amsterdam Pride canal parade gained TV coverage via NPO 1, NPO 3 and RTL News.

This campaign didn’t just achieve impressive metrics—it made a resounding impact. And was applauded by the LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY and the mainstream media.

Our integrated media strategy achieved 18M+ impressions and 305K+ minutes listened, exceeding all campaign targets. 8M media impressions were gained through press campaign features, with a positive media sentiment including recognition from Spotify as an exemplary campaign. The podcast featured in the GLOW category on Spotify, reaching an additional estimated 6.5M individuals as well as being in the top 5% most viewed podcasts in our category in 2023.

Notable, the campaign received valuable recognition from Dutch media outlet ‘Marketing facts’, cited as an example of how companies can authentically support the LGBTQIA+ community to avoid the perception of pinkwashing. Public engagement was strong with praising comments for the podcast and Mastercard’s support for the trans and nonbinary community.

We gained a further 8.7M social media impressions across brand, host and talent channels with really positive comments from those within the community as well as our more general audience.

Embracing a unique combination of online and offline media, including our participation in the renowned Canal Parade during Pride Amsterdam – the largest event in the Netherlands helped us achieve 500K reached consumers, 1.6M viewers on national Dutch television.

We tracked results with Meta Business Suite, Anchor, andSignal.AI. + LexisNexis. The campaign achieved its core objective of raising awareness to broaden consumer understanding of the transgender and nonbinary community. The campaign also further positioned Mastercard as an active LGBTQIA+ ally.