It’s safe to say that Pride ads in 2026 are not quite what they used to be. In the face of sustained, targeted right-wing backlash, many brands have in recent years adopted what could very charitably be called a ‘quieter’ approach to Pride.
As such, it’s worth highlighting the brands that are still making the effort – and some are doing so in creative ways. The vibe in 2026 has been less about splashing the rainbow all over everything, and more focusing on specific aspects or subcultures of the queer community. Sure, I’m not averse to a well-designed Pride logo. But I like seeing brands actively engage with queer communities, shine a spotlight on individual queer creators, and – crucially – put their money where their mouth is.
So, here are some of the most interesting, funny, creative, and above all, vocal Pride ads and campaigns we’ve seen this June.
1. Levi’s
I think Pride campaigns are always so much richer and more interesting when a brand cares to engage with specific details of queer history, going beyond the rainbow and using its platform and reach to actively educate as well as celebrate.
Levi’s 2026 Pride collection draws its inspiration specifically from queer biker clubs, which throughout the second half of the twentieth century and beyond provided a source of community and safe harbour for gay men and lesbians across the United States.
The collective gave queer people safety in numbers, while the hypermasculine image of the biker provided a form of defence against harassment. It’s one of the reasons why leather has become so synonymous with queer culture, as famously embodied by the ‘Leatherman/Biker’ member of the Village People.
The Levi’s collection doesn’t shy away from this, putting leather at the forefront of its collection. And in terms of concrete support, the jeans brand is continuing its financial support of LGBTIQ advocacy group Outright International, as well as The Trevor Project and the Human Rights Campaign, and is a sponsor of the San Francisco Pride Parade.
2. HelloFresh
A great Pride ad doesn’t necessarily need some high-concept design or a big splashy announcement. It is in fact entirely possible to make something great and memorable with just a funny idea and two minutes on Canva. Step forward, HelloFresh.
‘Prepping’, for those who haven’t inferred the meaning from the above, is a colloquial term for how gay men prepare their bodies before having sex. Sure, it’s a good joke, but it’s also a worthwhile reminder that Pride, and queer culture more broadly, is in a large part about sex. There’s no need to be prudish about it. Talking openly about all the multifarious forms of queer sexual relations is an important part of acceptance, and if you can remind people of that with a very good joke, all the better.
3. Diesel x Tinder
I’m not immune to the charms of a brand collab, and this is a good one. For Pride 2026, clothing brand Diesel teams up with dating app Tinder to present ‘For Successful Loving’. A tweak on Diesel’s ‘For Successful Living’ slogan, the campaign is all about the realities of queer dating – as creative director Glenn Martens put it to Rolling Stone, ‘not about idealising love, but defending it and giving it a voice, one that creates space for all its forms.’
The collection itself comprises a selection of jeans, underwear, T-shirts, polos and accessories, adorned with a devoré lace treatment to create playfully translucent patterns. And I have to say, the Diesel and Tinder logos complement each other quite nicely.
The campaign was also rolled out with a video series starring GiGi Goode of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame, who hosted a series of documentary-style interviews with the cast discussing their individual experiences with the realities of dating. And all this came with a $100,000 donation to Outright International.
4. Apple
Apple can be relied upon for striking and sharp-looking design, and I’m really liking the look of the 2026 Apple Watch Pride Edition Sport Loop. With a band woven together from 11 colours of nylon yarn in a rainbow, it’s complemented by a watch face designed with radial and vertical colour patterns that can be further customised by the user. There are some new iPhone and iPad wallpapers too, as ever, but the Watch is the standout here in my view. It’s just a really nice piece of design.
And hey, maybe Apple’s effort isn’t the most inspiring you’ve ever seen, but it is still nice to see a brand in the tech sector participating in Pride, given how many of its prominent names and faces have elected to pivot to sucking up to reactionaries. Remember when Mark Zuckerberg got a perm and a necklace and went on Joe Rogan to say that workplaces needed ‘less feminine energy’? That was fun, wasn’t it?
5. Erdem + Gay’s the Word
Erdem, the London fashion label founded by Erdem Moralıoğlu, has a long history of great Pride campaigns, but I’m a sucker for this latest one. Teaming up with London’s beloved LGBTQ+ bookshop, Gay’s the Word, Erdem’s Pride 2026 t-shirt is a beautiful tribute to the filmmaker Derek Jarman.
A hugely influential gay rights activist and a pioneer of new queer cinema, Jarman produced unconventional films, often on extremely low budgets. Erdem’s t-shirt features an original Jarman artwork from his zine, Bliss, which was also the original title of his final film, Blue, released just four months before Jarman’s death from AIDS-related complications.
The t-shirt is worn here by actor Russell Tovey and photographed by Erdem Moralıoğlu himself. All profits are being split between three LBTGQ+ charities – akt, Not a Phase, and Terrence Higgins Trust.
6. REI
Outdoor clothing and equipment brand REI has a pretty good track record when it comes to Pride, and I’m digging its 2026 collection. The brand has partnered with non-binary artist Alva Skog, with their vibrant and distinct designs being translated into a huge range of outdoorsy products, from waist packs and swimsuits to camping chairs, tote bags and mugs. As per Alva Skog, ‘My hope is that this little image will spark inspiration to spend more time outdoors together and a reminder that rest is resistance.’
7. Sesame Street
And finally, we have a simple and beautiful effort from Sesame Street, with the colours of the Pride flag lovingly rendered in the fur texture of the characters from the show. Lovely. Though to be honest, this one is less about the ad itself, and more about the bravery of posting it at all.
Since Sesame Street is a children’s show, dozens of rent-a-gob reactionaries – the kinds of people who are trying to rebrand June as ‘Family Values Month’ or whatever, you know the type – seized upon it as an example of moral depravity, of woke culture run amok, etc. They tried to paint it as grooming children, a disgusting smear that the queer community has endured for decades.
The people behind Sesame Street presumably knew that the post would engender this reaction, but they did it anyway – and that’s something to be proud of.
