Our research revealed that LGBTQ people saw members of their community as a second family. In China, family is a core unifying value that society is founded on. In fact, 85% of Chinese people share as few as 100 surnames. So we decided to create a visual device founded on this insight, as a way to drive our message and emotionally connect with people all across the country without confrontation or controversy. We turned the Chinese symbol for 10, which is written like a + symbol, into a rainbow and highlighted this shape in every Chinese family name. These customized rainbow surnames became a symbol of support for LGBTQ people that could spread across social networks. Through this simple yet powerful visual device, we could tell everyone about the 10th celebration of Shanghai Pride, create a strong personal connection that all Chinese people could relate to, and send out a message of unity that we are all one family.
RAINBOW NAMES
