We invited the LGBTQ community to post photos of themselves kissing, set the photos’ location at the Kremlin in Moscow, and use the hashtag #kiss4LGBTQrights. A new way to use Instagram’s “Add Location” tool that allowed the LGBTQ population to protest in a place where they are prohibited from doing so.

To raise awareness among our target audience, we created a video that was published on Ssex Bbox’s social media platforms. The video showed the current situation facing Russia’s LGBTQ population. At the end of the video, people were invited to participate in the action using the hashtag #kiss4LGBTQrights. In addition to the video, we counted on LGBTQ influencers, activists, and celebrities from many different countries to share the project with their followers.

Despite the low budget, the idea spread quickly, and thousands of people from 68 different countries participated in the protest. Overall, the photos impacted more than 58 million people on Instagram. News of the global kiss-in also spread throughout various media outlets, totaling more than US$ 13.2 million dollars in spontaneous media. The campaign even caught United Nation’s attention, in a speech about LGBTQ rights by Marcus Vinicius Ribeiro, principal for the Americas at Prisa. This was more than just a timely action, it also created a new tool for cyber-activism. Now, any cause, anywhere in the world, can use Instagram to protest safely, even where freedom of expression is restricted.