This weekend sees Britain’s largest Pride celebration descend on Brighton for a weekend of parties and parades in the name of equality, inclusivity and education.  A mainstay of the LGBTQ+ calendar, Brighton Pride takes on extra significance this year, as do all Pride events in 2017, as Britain celebrates 50 years since the first steps towards equality were taken with the Sexual Offences Act 1967, which partially decriminalized gay sex.

To tie in with the celebrations that run throughout the summer months, two leading vodka brands have produced limited edition packaging to celebrate Pride in this significant anniversary year.  Building on the successful ‘Love Wins’ campaign of 2016, Smirnoff has once again partnered with design agency Design Bridge for this year’s ‘Choose Love’ campaign. This year’s campaign features a stylistically fresh take on last year’s concept of illustrated couples representative of many sections of the LGBTQ+ community. A collection of six bottles, each a different colour of the rainbow flag, an iconic symbol of pride and freedom, each feature a different couple embracing.

In the spirit of millennial consumerism, the Smirnoff ‘Choose Love’ bottles also feature a snap code that unlocks a Pride-themed lens on the Snapchat app. The bottles feature extra information explaining the significance of each of the colours on the Pride flag, tying into to the spirit of inclusivity and education that is quintessential to British Pride celebrations such as the one taking place in Brighton this weekend. The ‘Choose Love’ bottles will replace the regular Smirnoff bottles in branches of Tesco throughout the Pride season in Britain.

Absolut Vodka has also released a limited edition bottle, Absolut Rainbow Edition, to celebrate Pride in 2017. The design features the colours of the rainbow flag printed on the bottle in bold brushstrokes, clearly celebrating the significance of the flag to the LGBTQ+ community. Between Smirnoff and Absolut, the spirit aisle in your local supermarket will serve as a poignant reminder of how far Britain has come in the ongoing fight for equal rights.