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 “rainbow-washing” by slapping rainbows on corporate logos and making statements supporting the LGBTQ2SIA+ community without taking real action. (The acronym refers to all of the identities that are outside of heterosexual, cisgender identities. This iteration, used by BMO, stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, 2 Spirit, Intersex, Asexual, and more.)

Support for the LGBTQ2SIA+ community falls within BMO’s larger ‘Zero Barriers to Inclusion 2025’ initiative to address gaps affecting Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Latinx, and LGBTQ2SIA+ employees, customers, and communities. In 2022, BMO wanted to build brand affinity and show its values by taking a different approach to Pride month that showed that surface-level gestures of solidarity are not the same as tangible actions.

BMO turned rainbows into action and had a real impact on the community. Not only did Rainbow Deposits shine a light on the brands who think putting rainbows on their packaging allies of the community, they turned every performative rainbow into an ad unit reinforcing the campaign’s purpose. The innovative first-of-its-kind initiative provided real value and meaning to every rainbow. By generating 50,000 deposits, which triggered a $50,000 donation from BMO, we were able to raise enough funding for the Rainbow Railroad to bring five people from the LGBTQ2SIA+ community to safety from violence and persecution.

Additional campaign results include:

Over 50,000 rainbows were deposited during the campaign

BMO donated $50,000 to the Rainbow Railroad

TFC donated an additional $10,000 as part of their special Pride Night game

Rainbows from 312 different brands were deposited.

Participation from over 2,000 cities across North America

BMO’s purpose is to boldly grow the good in business and in life. BMO has exemplified their commitment to representation, equality, and progress for the community with a commitment to have 3% of their employee base represented from the LGBTQ2SIA+ community, gender sensitivity, and inclusive language training for all branches.

But BMO wanted to do more to break down barriers that the LGBTQ2SIA+ community faces each day. To be living as an out person, or to even show your pride in many countries, means prosecution, or even death. BMO’s larger ‘Zero Barriers to Inclusion 2025’ initiative aims to address gaps affecting Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, Latinx, and LGBTQ2SIA+ employees, customers, and communities, and we wanted to come up with a way to make a real change for those at the highest risk, and even save a life.