Fashion footwear retailer schuh is putting LGBTQ+ stories at the centre of its Manchester marketing activity ahead of Pride weekend.
The retailer has partnered with Manchester-based LGBTQ+ youth charity The Proud Trust to transform the Community Window at its Market Street store into a space where people can share what “home” means to them.
Rather than using the prominent city centre window solely for traditional retail promotion, schuh will use it to capture conversations with members of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community as part of its wider brand and social impact activity.
The installation takes inspiration from the library corner at The Proud Trust’s Manchester community hub, recreating a relaxed, homely environment inside the Market Street store.
Members of the community will be invited to sit with a Proud Trust youth worker and discuss their interpretation of home, whether that is a person, place, feeling or community.
The conversations will be captured as documentary-style interview videos filmed from outside the storefront, creating content around the experiences of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community and themes of connection, acceptance and belonging.
The campaign forms part of schuh’s Do More Good social impact strategy, launched earlier this year around three areas: Wellbeing & Connection, Culture & Community, and Environment.
Robert Cobbina, Purpose Marketing Manager at schuh, said: “This installation brings Do More Good to life by celebrating community, connection and belonging. Our longstanding partnership with The Proud Trust reflects our shared commitment to creating more inclusive spaces, and we’re proud to use our Community Window to amplify LGBTQ+ voices and celebrate the stories that make our communities unique.”
The Proud Trust has been a charity partner of schuh since 2020. The organisation delivers youth work and one-to-one support across Greater Manchester and beyond, alongside national training and inclusion programmes for schools, Proud Connections Live Chat and the management of Manchester’s LGBTQ+ Centre, The Proud Place.
The Community Window itself was launched earlier this year as a way of turning schuh’s Market Street frontage into a platform for local talent and community-led content.
The activity will continue into Manchester Pride weekend, with schuh also partnering with Converse for an in-store activation at Market Street on August 29 featuring a DJ, aura station, glitter bar and giveaways.
The retailer will also continue fundraising for The Proud Trust through sales of its charity tote bags at participating stores.
