Teva is gearing up for Pride month and summer sandal season with the release of a new collection and a $35,000 donation to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in support of the LGBTQ+ community. The 2021 Pride Pack features a collection of all-gender sandals and accessories.
“With everything we do, it is our mission at Teva to create a more welcoming and equitable modern outdoors for everyone,” said Anders Bergstrom, VP and GM of Teva. “It is very important to us as a brand to support all people from different communities and backgrounds by highlighting the multiple sides of Pride. For the past couple of years, Teva has launched its Pride Packs in celebration of individuality and equality. This year, we’re honored to support our friends at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation with a donation to help fuel their work to end discrimination and fight for equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.”
LGBTQ+ consumers represent 4.5% of the US population, but account for 8% –$1 trillion— of disposable income, an LGBTQ+ couples account for a higher percentage of households with incomes over $100,000 (46% versus 42%), per eMarketer. Brands that show support towards LGBTQ+ consumers and embrace LGBTQ+ representation in marketing are more likely to earn loyalty from this audience.
“Teva stands for freedom – the freedom to roam, freedom of expression, and freedom to be your most authentic self,” Bergstrom said. “In creating a more welcoming and equitable modern outdoors, we encourage our community to live boldly, without inhibition. It is our privilege to amplify and champion those who do so and support those who work for a more free world. That is why we are so proud to be supporting the Human Rights Campaign Foundation this year as they continue to create a safer and more equitable world for our LGBTQIA+ community. Over the past 40 years, the Human Rights Campaign has worked to improve the lives of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation envisions and works towards a world free of bias, discrimination, and inequality.”
The Pride Pack includes a variety of multicolored, rainbow flag-laden Teva shoes in extended sizing with straps made with REPREVE, a recycled plastic yarn. The collection also includes pet accessories for the first time.
“The Pride collection is meant for all–including all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies alike, young and old,” said Bergstrom. “The collection is offered in extended sizing across kids and adults of all genders, inviting the whole family to celebrate individuality and equality. For the first time, the Pride offering also extends to pet accessories, welcoming our furry friends to take part in the celebration year-round.”
The launch is timed to Pride and to the summer travel season when Teva sandals are most commonly worn. Named by Vogue as the “Shoe of the Summer” in 2019, this campaign helps the brand maintain that momentum at a time when vacations are expected to skyrocket.
“Our Pride collection launches just in time for Pride month and at the top of sandal season, when our fans are prepping for all of their upcoming summer adventures,” said Bergstrom. “As a brand committed to being your guide for adventure in the modern world, we believe it is our duty to stand proudly behind social and environmental matters that protect the world we live in.”
