Who’s coming to the party? Mardi Gras’ corporate comedown
Mardi Gras’ ethical charter is an important shift in the event’s approach to sponsorship, but the new guidelines have seen an exodus of big brands — and while tighter sponsor guidelines were a must, funding is now stretched. Jonti Groth, senior creative at Connecting Plots Group, explains.
Mardi Gras has a funding issue
Corporate sponsors are a drug, and inevitably, the drugs don’t hit like they used to.
Though it started as a protest in 1978, the Mardi Gras I know and love has been one littered with big brands painting their logos rainbow and tipping cash into an organisation that brings the LGBTQIA+ community immense joy.
However, we are currently in the middle of a corporate comedown.
American Express has withdrawn from the festival, while tech giants Google and Meta are stepping down in the midst of closer scrutiny by the Mardi Gras board and their updated Ethical Charter.
