This year, McDonald’s reimagined how it shows up for Pride—moving beyond the parade and into the spaces where the LGBTQ+ community connects year-round. By partnering with Orangetheory Fitness and local drag talent to host Pride-themed workout classes, McDonald’s created an experience that felt authentically rooted in the community rather than simply sponsored by a brand.
Our objective was to deepen McDonald’s connection with the local LGBTQ+ community by creating an experience that inspired participation, celebrated self-expression and generated meaningful local impact. Each competition within the class unlocked a cash donation to a local LGBTQ+ nonprofit, transforming every moment of participation into tangible support.
Organic content created by the drag hosts, local brand pages, and attendees was then amplified through targeted paid social, extending the impact beyond those in the room and turning one local event into a broader statement of celebration, allyship and sustained community investment.
McDonald’s created an interactive Pride experience that brought together fitness, community, and purpose through a partnership with Orangetheory Fitness and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Akira Davenport and Angeria Paris VanMicheals. Rather than hosting a traditional brand activation, the event was designed to create meaningful engagement while directly giving back to the local LGBTQ+ community.
Attendees were invited to participate in a high-energy workout class led by Orangetheory coaches, with Akira Davenport and Angeria Paris VanMicheals energizing the experience, interacting with participants, and encouraging everyone to celebrate Pride through movement. Upon arrival, each participant received an Orangetheory heart-rate monitor that tracked their performance throughout the class.
The workout itself became the mechanism for charitable impact. McDonald’s tied the collective effort of participants to a donation benefiting Seattle PrideFest and Cascade AIDS Project Northwest (CAP Northwest) with the final contribution determined by the group's performance during the workout. This transformed every heartbeat, splat point, and personal milestone into a tangible way to support the local LGBTQ+ community, reinforcing that attendees weren't just participating in a fitness class—they were actively contributing to a greater cause.
The event was intentionally designed to be highly shareable and social-first. From branded workout moments and Pride-themed décor to creator interactions and photo opportunities, every touchpoint encouraged authentic content creation and attendee participation. Akira and Angeria amplified the experience across their social platforms before, during, and after the event, extending the activation's reach beyond those in attendance while reinforcing McDonald's commitment to celebrating Pride in an authentic and community-focused way.
By combining influential LGBTQ+ talent, an experiential fitness partner, and a purpose-driven charitable component, McDonald's created an activation that encouraged participation, fostered community connection, and delivered measurable impact. The event celebrated Pride by bringing people together around wellness, inclusivity, and giving back—culminating in a donation of $4,420 to Seattle PrideFest and $5,000 to CAP Northwest demonstrating McDonald's ongoing investment in supporting the communities it serves.
The activation delivered impact far beyond the event itself, generating meaningful results across social, influencer, PR, and community engagement. Through authentic creator storytelling, attendee-generated content, earned partnership coverage, and real-time social conversation, McDonald's extended the reach of the experience well beyond those in attendance, inspiring audiences to engage with the brand's Pride celebration both online and in person.
The partnership successfully united community members around a shared purpose, driving strong event participation and meaningful engagement while reinforcing McDonald's commitment to inclusivity and giving back. Influencer content amplified the experience across multiple platforms, earned media elevated the campaign's visibility, and community participation transformed the event into a celebration of connection, wellness, and Pride.
Together, these efforts generated significant social reach, high engagement, positive brand sentiment, and valuable earned media while culminating in a charitable donation to Seattle PrideFest and Cascade AIDS Project Northwest. The campaign proved that when purpose, partnerships, and authentic storytelling come together, the impact extends well beyond a single event—creating lasting community connections and measurable business and brand results.
