Visibility That Matters: These Five Brands Dominated WorldPride DC with Out of Home
June 17, 2025
When swarms of people descend on your city for one of the world’s biggest cultural events, how can brands reach them without getting lost in the noise? OUTFRONT’s out of home media meets audiences where they are – on the streets, in Metro stations, while they’re on the move – in each space delivering relevant messages that are impossible to ignore.
This wasn’t just DC Pride; this was WorldPride DC, a global celebration that transformed Washington DC into a world stage for LGBTQ+ expression. A diverse influx of visitors joined welcoming locals, creating a rare and valuable opportunity for brands to speak directly to engaged, values-driven audiences in real life.
The brands that won didn’t just show up – they dominated, with creative tailored to this specific audience, media selected for high engagement, and messages that aligned with the moment. Here are five OOH campaigns that truly stood out.
Destination DC: A National Push
Before the event even began, Destination DC made sure to reach and influence the right people. The campaign started long before June with a national-scale strategy targeting key hubs of LGBTQ+ culture like New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Using a mix of street furniture (hello, dwell time) and large-format transit media (hi, frequency!), they invited audiences to “Come to DC for World Pride.”
The goal was clear: drive travel, tourism, and celebration from high-density feeder markets where LGBTQ+ communities and allies are already highly engaged. OUTFRONT’s ability to target by market, by mindset, and by mobility made this campaign a win even before the first parade float hit the route.
GSK’s Apretude: A Bold Healthcare Message
Healthcare brands don’t always lean into cultural events, but GSK knew that WorldPride was the right time to elevate visibility around HIV prevention.
Apretude, the drugmaker’s long-acting injectable PrEP treatment, showed up with purpose and pride. Its campaign combined wallscapes in key neighborhoods with two-sheet posters in high-footfall Metro stations. That mix of high-impact visuals and high-frequency placements created both awareness and education, an essential combination for a product that changes lives.
D.C. is largely zoned out to traditional billboard media. Fortunately, OUTFRONT’s wallscapes and transit media are prime real estate for brands. This campaign proved that when healthcare meets culture with authenticity and boldness, audiences respond.
Wonderful Pistachio: Flavors Meet Festivity at Metro Center
You don’t take over Metro Center by accident. Wonderful Pistachio made a calculated decision – and it paid off.
After touring DC’s transit system with OUTFRONT reps, the Wonderful team zeroed in on Metro Center. The combination of its status as a top circulation station, its 200+ ad units, and connections between four train lines, this station was a key gateway to Pride events. They saw the foot traffic, felt the energy, and knew this was the place.
Their iconic green brand was part of a rainbow of creative that celebrated both its bold flavors and the LGBTQ+ community. The campaign extended from underground platforms to above-ground bus media, transforming Wonderful Pistachio into a festive, flavorful part of the cityscape all month long.
Closet Factory: Closets Are for Tops... and Bottoms
A perfect example of local advertising done right. Closet Factory’s clever, tongue-in-cheek copy stopped riders in their tracks.
This kind of contextually relevant ad campaign shows how small-to-midsize brands can win big during major cultural moments. With DC’s billboard restrictions, transit media is one of the only ways to break through in real life. We provide the canvas. Advertisers like Closet Factory paint them with clever, bold creative aligned with the moment. It’s never just been about impressions. It’s about being part of the conversation, and connecting with the audience.
Truth Initiative: Nicotine Is a Drag
Dupont Circle has long been a cornerstone of DC's LGBTQ+ community, and Truth Initiative embraced it fully. Partnering with drag legend Katya, the nonprofit brand turned the entire station into an immersive anti-smoking message with a full Station Domination.
Station Dominations are exactly what they sound like: a total takeover of every available ad position. Bold colors. Immersive visuals. Total cultural presence. Truth Initiative combined multiple campaign messages – public health, Pride, and community support – into a cohesive brand experience that sparked critical conversations.
Honorable Mention - WMATA: Rolling Out the Rainbow
DC's beloved transit system, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), also joined the celebration. WMATA wrapped buses and rail cars in rainbows with messages like “Ride with pride” and “Metro proudly welcomes the world.” The rainbow-clad buses joined countless others during the hours-long Pride parade, rolling through the streets to culminate a month filled with celebration.
Visibility that Moves with the Moment
While the LGBTQ+ world turned its eyes to Washington, D.C., brands that showed up boldly, and in the right places won. OUTFRONT’s transit and wallscape media offered them crucial visibility across the city’s most heavily trafficked stations, streets, and neighborhoods. As WorldPride DC proved, our assets don’t just deliver impressions; they spark connection, conversation, and cultural relevance. Whether you're a global brand or a local advertiser, OUTFRONT is your platform to stand out when it matters most.
Ready to stand out? Let’s talk about it.
Author: Leanna Yevak, Marketing Manager @ OUTFRONT
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