Cisco Pride: Bridge to Possible
In 2019, Cisco earned a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index for the 15th consecutive year. As a sponsor of the HRC Gala, Cisco planned an advertisement for the event program recognizing the achievement.
What began as a single sponsorship ad ultimately became a broader expression of Cisco Pride, extending the concept across multiple touchpoints and reaching audiences well beyond the original event.
The challenge
The project came together on a compressed timeline with a relatively open creative brief. At the same time, Cisco had recently introduced its Bridge to Possible campaign, which provided an opportunity to connect the company's broader brand platform with a message specifically relevant to the HRC audience.
Working within the campaign's established visual and verbal framework, I developed a concept centered on the idea that innovation is stronger when more people have the opportunity to contribute.
My role extended beyond art direction and design. I developed the headline and core messaging and helped shape the supporting copy, working with the creative director responsible for advertising messaging for review and approval. Visually, I translated the concept through the typographic structure established by Bridge to Possible, allowing the message itself—rather than stock photography—to become the centerpiece of the execution.
Results
Although the project was originally scoped as a single sponsorship advertisement, the concept was well received and quickly expanded beyond its original application.
The design and messaging were adapted for a Cisco Pride T-shirt and, most visibly, incorporated into Cisco's presence at London Pride 2019, where the creative appeared at large scale on the side of Cisco's Pride float.
What began as a single print advertisement became a flexible campaign idea that worked across print, apparel, and a large-scale event activation—bringing greater visibility to the message while maintaining a consistent connection to Cisco's broader brand platform.