Lockdown in the closet? MullenLowe Lintas' new film explores...

The Coronavirus-induced lockdown has been affecting people's mental health negatively, but it hits those living in the closet differently.

Isolated, unable to speak to anyone, stuck with your own thoughts, and alone in your own house. Life is, indeed, tough for individuals during lockdown.

Now reread the above sentences carefully. They also apply to those 'closeted' individuals who identify themselves as homosexual, bisexual, or 'queer'. This is the theme of MullenLowe Lintas' new film for 'Pride Month' (June).

When a person does not identify as heterosexual (the society's definition of 'normal'), he/she fears rejection and ostracisation by their own family members, and society at large. This can lead to people concealing this part of their identity, and hiding 'in the closet' for a large part of their lives.

The LGBTQIA community in India has been struggling with social acceptance for far too long. Whether it is within the family or among friend circles, the community has faced stigma and discrimination for being themselves. But it's time to break that.
It's time to #Unlockdown. pic.twitter.com/9c4LzquNKk

— MullenLowe Lintas (@MLLintasGroup) June 11, 2020

June is celebrated as 'Pride Month' across the world, and different brands show their support in different ways; either with ads, or with social media accounts. However, long before it was cool for brands to show their support for the LGBTQ community, Fastrack and Lowe Lintas released an ad in 2013 titled 'The Closet', where the brand encouraged viewers to embrace their identity and 'get out of the closet'.

According to Arun Iyer, who was the chief creative officer with Lintas at the time; the brief given by the brand was to make Fastrack part of the youth lingo. The ultimate goal was to create an identity that the youth would relate to. "It's a thematic brand campaign with subtle cues of the brand's range of products," he said.

Also Read: Fastrack: Dispelling Taboos

The execution style is graphic with certain elements (like the yellow landline phone) adding to the overall effect. As for the music, Iyer says, "During the pre-production stage (executive creative director) Akash Das suggested Daft Punk's song. We felt it was perfect for the campaign. So, we bought the rights of the song for the ads." Fastrack, typically, targets 18-21 year olds.