Optus unveils Mardi Gras 2026 platform ‘Pride blooms from Yes’

Optus has launched ‘Pride blooms from Yes’, a new campaign platform for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2026, created by independent creative agency Apparent.

The work marks Optus’s fifth year of partnership with the festival and centres on the idea that pride evolves through moments of self-acceptance, courage and visibility.

The platform launches with Blooming With Pride, a video series featuring four members of Optus’s internal Express Yourself LGBTQIA+ Employee Network. Each film sees employees share personal photographs while reflecting on defining moments that shaped their identity and sense of pride.

The campaign also includes Tour De Pride, an interactive video series hosted by Optus Pride Guide Raine Ingmenn. The series guides viewers through ten locations linked to Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ history, including Equality Green at Prince Alfred Park, Taylor Square’s Rainbow Crossing, Qtopia Sydney, St Vincent’s Hospital and the Bondi Memorial: Rise.

The locations are mapped within the official Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras app, allowing festivalgoers to explore sites tied to the community’s cultural and social milestones.

David Jackson, executive creative director at Apparent, said the campaign was designed to highlight the personal journeys behind public celebration.

“For many in the community, becoming who they truly are happens quietly, over years. Mardi Gras isn't the beginning. It's the arrival,” Jackson said.

Tom Hennessey, brand, network and sponsorships and events marketing at Optus, said the work reflects the company’s broader commitment to inclusion.

“We've been a Partner of Mardi Gras since 2022 and our commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community goes well beyond the parade,” Hennessey said.