Mobilize grassroots support for marriage equality across 50 states to create the climate necessary for the Supreme Court to sign it into law.
Marriage is about more than rights and economics — it’s about love. Emotional storytelling is the most effective way to shape the national conversation.
On Friday, June 26, 2015, thanks in large part to Freedom to Marry’s advocacy campaigns, love won — and marriage equality became the law of the land.
This colossal victory didn’t come easy. It was the culmination of a yearslong campaign marked by smart strategy, big-hearted messaging, and relentless advocacy across 50 states.
Leading the charge was Freedom to Marry, an organization that existed for one purpose: achieving marriage equality and putting itself out of business. They enlisted Blue State to help build their digital presence and mobilize a community of supporters ready to take action toward its ambitious goals.
Freedom to Marry launched a multimedia campaign in 2012 to shine a spotlight on how the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) harmed military families. We created seven videos to inspire people to get involved, including the Webby-winning “Same Skin” in which two soldiers revealed their battle scars, underscoring that it is service — not sexual preference — that distinguishes our armed forces.
Partnering with Blue State helped us win the freedom to marry nationwide by pushing our program forward, strengthening our use of social, and communicating our message in innovative ways.
Michael Crawford, Director of Digital and Creative, Freedom to Marry
The true power of our creative was unleashed when we married its distribution with effective data targeting. To be as efficient as possible with Freedom To Marry’s paid media investment, Blue State partnered with Civis Analytics to target specific counties within Alabama. We created an individual-level predictive model to assess who would be most likely to engage with Freedom to Marry and which areas of Alabama we should focus on. This strategy enabled us to generate the best possible outcome.
We created a cross-channel campaign to show the nation’s sweeping support of marriage equality, sparking over 54,000 uses of the hashtag and generating vital earned media.
Silver Shorty Award
Best Use of Hashtag
Digiday
#LoveWins: 3 things brands can learn from the marriage equality campaign
Silver AAPC Award
Best Use of Social Media
The New York Times
Marriage Equality in Alabama
Silver W3 Award
Activism Website