Egale Gives Three Canadians a Bold Platform to 'Come Out-of-Home' on National Coming Out Day

In honour of National Coming Out Day on 11th October, Egale - Canada's leading organisation for LGBTQI2S people and issues - worked with Cossette and Cossette Media to give three Canadians the opportunity to come out in a bold and unforgettable way: on giant billboards across the Greater Toronto Area.

The campaign, entitled 'Coming Out Loud', ran from 5th - 11th October and celebrated those who had decided to come out to a loved one, while raising awareness around the difficulties of coming out as part of the LGBTQI2S community. To share this important message, Cossette created billboards, which included each participants’ coming out story; as well as micro-sites, which directed to behind-the-scenes videos and Egale’s educational resources.

“Creating content around sensitive topics is often a challenge, and coming out as part of the LGBTQI2S community is a difficult topic to breach,” said Craig McIntosh, executive creative director at Cossette. “It’s not everyday where we can help someone come out to their loved ones, and if this work was able to help even one person find the strength and live their truth, we view it as an overwhelming success.”

To bring the campaign to life, Cossette Media enlisted help from Pattison, Outfront, UB Media, AllVision and Bell Media to strategically place the billboards in areas where the participants’ loved ones would be sure to see them. Additionally, the integrated campaign amplified the story through social media, influencer relations and media relations.

"Everyone has a unique experience and set of circumstances that determines how they live as their authentic self,” said Helen Kennedy, executive director at Egale. “Coming out to your loved ones is never a one-size-fits-all process, and the aim of this campaign was to not only celebrate those that decided to come out, but to signal to the community that Egale is here to support those who need it.”