Rhinestones and Revelations: A Pride Exchange Affair
- Mike Richter
- Oct 3
- 3 min read
The Contextual Clipper Special Edition: Unplugged State of Mind, AWNY 2025
This article was originally published in The Contextual Clipper, our on-site newspaper for Unplugged State of Mind, a three-day activation during Advertising Week 2025. Presented with Cognitiv, Supernova, Revry, and Do the WeRQ, the gathering explored queer data, workplace equity, and action over optics — all during LGBTQ+ History Month. Authored by🐬 Finnegan “Splash” Tailfin — The Adventurer, with narration by Jake Cameron, Director, Marketing Strategy & Operations at Yieldmo.
It has not escaped this columnist’s notice that Cannes Lions felt lighter on rainbows this year. And yet the brightest hues still broke through. Cognitiv hosted its legendary Pride Party with Unplugged’s own Mike Richter as guest host, where the toasts were matched by impact, including a $20,000 gift to The Trevor Project. Supernova’s inaugural Pride Summit at the Infillion Café drew a standing-room crowd that said the quiet part out loud. It has also been whispered that in a week drawing over 20,000 industry professionals, nearly 2,000 registered for LGBTQ+ events. Proof that interest is not niche; it is the pulse.
Now that pulse converges in New York for The Pride Exchange, part of CTRL+ALT+Culture during Advertising Week on Monday, October 6, hosted in Unplugged Collective’s Pavilion at the Virgin Hotel. Fittingly aligned with LGBTQ+ History Month, the gathering blends conversation and celebration. On the docket is Elijah Harris (EVP, IPG Mediabrands) and Damian Pelliccione (CEO, Revry) with a fireside dive into the power of queer data and what it means for the future of advertising, with Revry fresh off a Digiday win for Best New Data Management Platform for Revry & IndiCue’s PrismRiot Multicultural DMP. Free queer TV may be their calling card, but their vision of data as visibility’s backbone could reshape how brands reach and respect audiences.
Then comes the room everyone will be talking about: a not-a-panel under the banner “Action Over Optics,” with leading voices including Lynne d Johnson (Sr. Director of Programming & Community, Ad Tech & Converged Media, Chief Marketer), Graham Nolan (Co-Chair, Do the WeRQ), Amanda DeVito (CMO, Butler/Till), Suresh Raj (CGO, M+C Saatchi, NA). Expect polite nods to be traded in for durable practice. Do the WeRQ has long reminded the industry that queer creativity is not an accessory but a growth engine. Consider this session your accountability mirror.
Threaded through it all is a truth that aligns with Cognitiv’s DNA: people are layered, and signals often hide in plain sight. Deep learning is about seeing what others overlook, and so is building an inclusive company. As RuPaul insists, if you cannot love yourself, how the hell can you love somebody else? For companies, that starts at home. “Inclusion isn’t a moment, it’s a mindset. When we look for the nuance in each other, we don’t just build better workplaces, we build better stories, better ideas, and better futures.” said Justine Frostad, SVP of Marketing at Cognitiv. In that spirit, Cognitiv will also contribute $10,000 to The Trevor Project on behalf of the attendees during Pride Exchange, quietly and consistently as part of doing the work. Or as Unplugged CEO Mike Richter put it, “Pride Exchange is not about optics; it is about building a future where authenticity is the standard, not the exception.”
For all its sparkle, the real magic of Pride Exchange lies in what follows. The conversations will not end when the lights dim or the cocktails run dry. They will ripple into offices, campaigns, and boardrooms, demanding that the commitments voiced here carry forward. If Cannes was a reminder of what is missing, New York is the proof of what is possible.
About Cognititv
Cognitiv is the leading advanced performance partner, powered by deep learning. Leveraging cutting-edge AI technology and data science since 2015 to more accurately predict consumer behavior and understand nuance, Cognitiv enables brands to connect with their customers in more precise, relevant, impactful moments at scale.
About Revry
Revry is the only dedicated entertainment media network for brands to connect with queer audiences with its free ad supported TV service and on-demand LGBTQ-first movies, series, news and music through multiple platforms. Combined with the company's original programming and proprietary data, Revry helps its partners establish meaningful and culturally relevant connections with queer consumers. Revry’s mission is to inspire exploration of queer culture for the social and conomic benefit of the LGBTQIA+ community. Revry is led by a diverse LGBTQ founding team and NGLCC certified.
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