With just two weeks to go until the main Pride in London event celebrating the LGBT+ community, the organisers have unveiled a celebrity-backed campaign where Londoners are invited to help promote this year’s #FreedomTo theme.

The 2014 Pride in London Parade, which takes place on Saturday 28 June, is all about celebrities and members of the public alike communicating what Pride means to them

Celebrities including Sir Ian McKellan, Kylie Minogue, Graham Norton, Sir Elton John and Ben Cohen have already backed the campaign. Of the 150+ messages already submitted, examples include Sir Ian McKellan, with ‘#FreedomTo be who you are and what you would like to be’; Graham Norton with ‘#FreedomTo be camp!’ and Funmi Iyanda with ‘#FreedomTo support equality without fear and harassment’.

To get involved, members of the public are asked to write their own personal #FreedomTo messages on a large piece of paper. By sharing this photo on Facebook or Twitter using the #FreedomTo hashtag, the Pride team will pick it up. Submissions that catch the eye of the team will earn you an invite to a photoshoot. More information can be found on the official #FreedomTo webpage.

Media owner Exterion Media has become a campaign partner, contributing more than half a million pounds worth of support. This commitment means the multi-channel campaign featuring the personal #FreedomTo messages and sponsors’ logos will be prominent across London’s bus and tube network, reaching millions of Londoners in the build-up to the event, every single day.

The media campaign, orchestrated by digital out of home agency Enigma, will evolve over the course of the two weeks leading up to Pride day. The first week will include a call to action asking members of the public to submit their own personal #FreedomTo messages. The people behind the best entries will then be filmed and included in animated panel adverts alongside the supporting celebrities.

During the second week – Pride Week (from Monday 23 June) – the panels will also show highlights of supportive Pride parties, galas and live events – all of which are detailed on the official Pride website.

On Pride Day itself, the tube ads will change to say ‘Happy Pride’, including information about how to travel to the Pride event from that station. A media relationship has been struck with TV channel London Live, which will see the channel take the user generated content to create community profile films to be serialised during Pride Week.

Pride #freedomto