In 2021, Juneteenth became an official federal holiday and many companies jumped on the “Juneteenth” bandwagon to profit off the newly popularized holiday.

Let’s just say there’s been a lot of trial and error over the years regarding the proper way to commemorate both Black History Month and Juneteenth. While BHM has been in the books since the 1960s, Juneteenth was a relatively newer concept and how marketing campaigns are handled.

Some companies had hard knocks with their attempt at Juneteenth being called everything from “fake diversity and performative to corporate pandering and disrespectful.”

Juneteenth is a celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, honoring June 19, 1865, when a proclamation in Galveston, Texas, declared that slaves were finally free–two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

It was a new concept for many in marketing leadership and some were totally clueless on how to commemorate this special day aside from giving employees a day off work.

Some brands repurposed their Black History Month campaigns and thought slapping a little green, red, and yellow on their current items and charging for the “Juneteenth” branding was enough. Let’s just say they experienced great backlash.

Profiting without giving back to the Black community in any way has been the equivalent of lessons learned on how NOT to celebrate Juneteenth.

I think the biggest lesson learned thus far by companies to use Juneteenth in their marketing and social media campaigns is that there has to be a level of investing, empowering, educating, and providing exposure and progress for Black businesses, educational institutions, non-profits, and individuals while celebrating and honoring Juneteenth.

It can’t just be about making a quick buck on the back of slavery ending. You have to make it count and work towards progressive and forward movement to help the people that the United States has disenfranchised for centuries.

Here are 4 companies that we, at Octane Design Studios, think hit the mark on their marketing campaigns for Juneteenth in the past and present.

Target

Target recognizes Juneteenth as a company holiday and some say that on June 16, 2024, Target will celebrate Juneteenth with pageant finalists and support for Black-owned businesses.
According to a Goodera article, Target is advancing racial equity through its program Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH) and since pledged $2 billion to help back entrepreneurs and black-owned businesses succeed. They have consistently ranked high on the list of companies recognizing Juneteenth and supporting black communities, employees, and customers.

Amazon

Amazon recognized Juneteenth with a curated mix of internal and external programs to honor and educate about the history of the date. In the past, Amazon has sponsored the Juneteenth Unityfest, a live-streamed event that promoted a day of unity and celebrated Juneteenth and Black culture with musical performances, inspiring remarks, films, comedy, storytelling, and appearances by civic leaders and influencers. Amazon additionally sponsored a virtual tour experience of African American History Museums and featured Juneteenth products such as books, movies, and series that highlighted Juneteenth. Amazon donated $1 million to 13 community-based organizations that supported communities of color in Seattle.

Nike

In 2020, Nike, Converse, Jordan Brand, and Michael Jordan committed a combined $140 million over 10 years to invest in and support organizations focused on economic empowerment, education, and social justice to address racial inequality for Black Americans.

Best Buy

Best Buy works closely with their Black ERG to action diversity and inclusion within their organization. They committed $44 million to support college readiness and career development opportunities for BIPOC students, 16 scholarships for HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) students, and increased scholarship funding for youth in the Teen Tech Center. Best Buy has also pledged to invest $1.2 billion by 2025 to empower emerging BIPOC businesses and entrepreneurs, in addition to $10 million in investments to support BIPOC-owned tech startup, according to Goodera.