2022 Winner
SilverBest in Mobile
BronzeBest in Finance and Services
BronzeBest Use of Technology
BMO
"Rainbow Deposits"
UM, FCB, Reprise
"Rainbow Deposits"
UM, FCB, Reprise
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 signaled the need for organizations to be authentic during their campaigns and through the support they offer during Pride Month and beyond.
BMO understood that surface-level gestures of solidarity are not the same as tangible support, and wanted to take action. 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 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 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 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.
It also 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 soccer teams, TFC, CF Montreal and Vancouver Whitecaps and the Calgary Stampede.
BMO's media-powered, innovative approach 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.
The combination of the rich omni-channel approach and the unique, BMO-branded innovation web app was a category first, leveraging a combination of paid, owned and earned initiatives and communications to drive the campaign. This highly inventive approach also turned every rainbow into an ad unit that reinforced the brand’s purpose. BMO’s innovative, first-of-its-kind campaign was a stunning success that rallied the 2SLGBTQ+ community and their allies to deposit rainbows
on their phones.
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. 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.
32,674 rainbows from over 312 different brands in over 612 cities across North America 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. There was an additional TFC donation of $10,000 as part of their special Pride Night game.
BMO understood that surface-level gestures of solidarity are not the same as tangible support, and wanted to take action. 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 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 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 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.
It also 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 soccer teams, TFC, CF Montreal and Vancouver Whitecaps and the Calgary Stampede.
BMO's media-powered, innovative approach 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.
The combination of the rich omni-channel approach and the unique, BMO-branded innovation web app was a category first, leveraging a combination of paid, owned and earned initiatives and communications to drive the campaign. This highly inventive approach also turned every rainbow into an ad unit that reinforced the brand’s purpose. BMO’s innovative, first-of-its-kind campaign was a stunning success that rallied the 2SLGBTQ+ community and their allies to deposit rainbows
on their phones.
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. 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.
32,674 rainbows from over 312 different brands in over 612 cities across North America 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. There was an additional TFC donation of $10,000 as part of their special Pride Night game.
Credits
BMOHead, Brand, Enterprise Social and Content: Jennifer Carli
Vice President, Director, Brand Management & Enterprise Marketing: Jennifer Larson
Senior Manager, Enterprise Marketing & Social Impact Content: Danielle O’Hanley
Directrice marketing, Marque et Commandites: Ann-Marie Beauchemin
UM
VP, Client Business Partner, Ryan Hunter
Director, Connections Planning, Fahmida Islam
Manager, Connections Planning, Marc-Andre Giasson
Senior Planner, Connections Planning, Carolyn Hughes
Senior Manager, Portfolio Management: Lauren Klehammer
FCB Canada
Chief Creative Officer: Nancy Crimi-Lamanna; Executive Creative Director: Jeremiah McNama; Executive Creative Director: Andrew MacPhee; Sr. Copywriter: Caleb McMullen; Art Director: Hussein Rumaithi; Creatives: Nimy Leshinski, Les Soos, JP De Leon, Adam Tuck, Ariel Riske, Marie-Christine Lessard & Olivier Laplante
EVP, General Manager: Tracy Little; VP, Managing Director: Tim Welsh; VP, Client Service Lead: Erin Howes; Account Director: Leore Davids; Account Director: Ali Gayowski; Account Supervisor: Lauryn Richards; Account Supervisor: Sophia R’Bibo; Account Director: Michael Watier; Account Executive: Élizabeth Breault
Chief Strategy Officer: Shelley Brown; Strategy Director: Stephanie Gyles; Senior Strategist: Ally Dwyer-Joyce; Broadcast Producer: Tania Overholt; Integrated Producer: Anastasia Gal;
Integrated Producer: Daniel Rankin; Production Company: Fuelcontent
UX/UI Tech Specialist: Lara Goldsmith; Full Stack Developer: Lily Han; Jr. Quality Assurance Analyst: Natasha Phillip
Broadcast Producer: Tania Overholt
REPRISE Canada
Associate Director, Social: Shannon Stone
Campaign Manager, Social: Sami Le
Mediabrands Content Studio
Vice President, Growth & Creative Services: Pierre Babineau
Associate Director, Creative Services: Annelie Gutgesell
Senior Creative Strategist: Darrell Evans
PR Agency: Glossy
Online Production: I Am Static
Offline Production: Married to Giants
Sound Design & Mix: Oso Audio