Omnicom Agencies Continue to Champion LGBTQ+ Inclusion

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) is proud to announce it will be working with NYC Pride as a Platinum Sponsor for the 2019 WorldPride celebration. As part of its sponsorship, Omnicom agencies will be doing in-kind work to promote this year's historic event, which marks the first WorldPride celebration in the United States, the 50^th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising and a half-century of LGBTQ+ liberation. A number of Omnicom agencies are assisting NYC Pride in its branding and communication efforts, including Interbrand, RAPP Worldwide, Siegal + Gale, TBWA Health, Harrison & Star, FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Porter Novelli and RxMosaic.

Awareness, acceptance and advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community is a staple of Omnicom's diversity & inclusion efforts. In early 2017, the company expanded its existing ERG known as the Omnicom People Engagement Network (OPEN) to include OPEN Pride, a network whose goal was to fuel the personal growth, organizational inclusion and business success of Omnicom's LGBTQ+ employees and allies. Since its initiation two years ago, OPEN Pride has expanded to 11 chapters across the globe and has several others in the works. At this year's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Omnicom was also a part of the consortium of multinational companies who launched the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality, a multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to accelerate LGBTI workplace inclusion globally.

"2019 is a year of remarkable milestones for the LGBTQ+ community, and when we considered the foundation of support and inclusivity we've built internally, it became clear we had a chance to do something greater by going beyond our own walls and participating in this year's NYC Pride celebration," says Tiffany R. Warren, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer of Omnicom. "We're honored that we can celebrate our LGBTQ+ employees and show support for the greater community the best way we know how: through our work."

Omnicom's sponsorship with NYC Pride is just one of the many ways the company has tapped into its talent to offer support to the LGBTQ+ community, its advocacy groups and its nonprofit organizations. In one specific case, Omnicom's UK OPEN Pride chapter created an annual global challenge where agencies could pick a local LGBTQ+ charity of their choice and create Pride related campaigns with them. In Mumbai, the DDB team created an Open Closet campaign with the oldest LGBTQ organization in India, the Humsafar Trust, so they could help educate people on LGBTQ+ life experiences. At RAPP London, employees teamed up with Mermaids, an advice and information service for young transgender people and their families, to create a more direct, online route to information parents are looking for as they support their trans children.

"NYC Pride has the great and unique opportunity to celebrate the global successes of the LGBTQ+ movement, and we're honored we can do so by hosting WorldPride events that will inspire, educate and unify our diverse community," says Chris Frederick, Managing Director of NYC Pride. "Through the outstanding branding and promotional efforts by Omnicom agencies, we've been able to capture the essence of this paramount year, which is one of both reminiscing and looking ahead, commemorating yet progressing. Together, we're building excitement and anticipation for what's bound to be an extraordinary month of activities."  

With over 25 events spanning across the entire month of June, this year's WorldPride is set out to be the largest Pride celebration in the world. From rallies to parties to lectures, attendees will have countless ways to get involved and celebrate the "Millions of Moments of Pride," this year's theme for the annual event. To find out more about NYC Pride and to discover the full list of WorldPride and Stonewall 50 events, please visit: https://2019-worldpride-stonewall50.nycpride.org/.

About Omnicom Group Inc.
Omnicom Group (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company.  Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries. Follow us on Twitter for the latest news.

About Heritage of Pride
Heritage of Pride, Inc. is the volunteer-directed organization behind the official NYC Pride roster of events. Heritage of Pride's mission is to work toward a future without discrimination where all people have equal rights under the law. We do this by producing LGBTQIA+ Pride events that inspire, educate, commemorate and celebrate our diverse community. 

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SOURCE Omnicom Group