In the weeks leading up to and during Pride Month, rainbows are everywhere. While it’s an important part of spreading awareness, consumers are increasingly accusing brands of “virtue-signaling” and “rainbow-washing” by slapping rainbows on corporate logos and making statements supporting the 2SLGBTQ+ community without taking any real action. Increased consumer fatigue highlighted the need for organizations to be authentic during their campaigns and through the support they offer during Pride Month and beyond.

Support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community falls within BMO’s larger ‘Zero Barriers to Inclusion 2025’ initiative to address gaps affecting Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Latinx, and 2SLGBTQ+ employees, customers, and communities. BMO understood that surface-level gestures of solidarity are not the same as tangible actions. BMO wanted to build brand affinity and show its values by finding a way to hijack the Pride rainbow, a ubiquitous and obligatory symbol of Pride Month, and create a tangible action that supports the community year-round. 

With the increase of rainbow washing and solely performative actions on the part of brands, it became clear to BMO that not every rainbow actually translates into tangible action that lifts up the 2SLGBTQ+ community, removes barriers to their financial equality, makes them feel accepted, or keeps them safe. So, BMO partnered with the Rainbow Railroad, an international non-profit organization that helps bring thousands of 2SLGBTQ+ people facing persecution to safety every year, to make every rainbow count towards concrete action to help 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

BMO turned rainbows into action by letting people “deposit” photos of rainbows on their phone.

BMO hijacked rainbows, allowing people to deposit them the same way they deposit a cheque. BMO developed a first-of-its-kind web app that allowed users to take a picture of any rainbow, then upload it so that it could be deposited as a $1 donation to the Rainbow Railroad. BMO used data visualization to compile a “Rainbow Deposit Box”, showing the accumulated value in real-time.

BMO took real action in a way that had never been done before, turning every rainbow from performative activism into an action that made a real difference for the community. Every rainbow also became an ad unit reinforcing the brand’s purpose.

BMO created a mass media campaign to call on 2SLGBTQ+ community members and their allies to capture and deposit every rainbow they saw. BMO even allowed people to deposit photos of themselves wearing rainbows. BMO used branch signage, window decals, and OOH to place more rainbows in public spaces to build momentum. We drove awareness with hard-working online video and social media placements. QR code stickers in public spaces and in Pride-themed window displays engaged passersby. Guerilla-style decals on rainbows in public spaces reminded people to capture nearby rainbows. Drag queens and 2SLGBTQ+ identifying influencers in key markets shared online content to spread awareness and encourage participation. BMO also showcased the campaign across their sponsorship properties at their Pride events, including TFC, CF Montreal, Vancouver Whitecaps, and the Calgary Stampede.

At the time of submission, following Pride Month in Ontario and Chicago, BMO had already raised over $32,000, giving real value to every rainbow with an innovative first-of-its-kind campaign that called on the 2SLGBTQ+ community and their allies to ‘deposit rainbows' on their phones. This year, with the support of partners like BMO, Rainbow Railroad hopes to help over 2,000 individuals access lives free from persecution, helping more people than any year since its inception. In addition to funds raised the campaign also achieved:

●      32,674 rainbows were deposited in the first month of the campaign. This number will grow with further activations taking place at Pride events in Alberta and BC in July and in Quebec in August to coincide with their Pride Months.

●      An additional TFC donation of $10,000 as part of their special Pride Night game

●      Deposits showing rainbows from over 312 different brands

●      Participation from over 612 cities across North America