BMO Rainbow Deposits

Bank of Montreal

In the weeks leading up to and during Pride Month, rainbows are everywhere. In 70 countries, showing your pride is still punishable by imprisonment. But rainbow washing and other performative actions from brands don’t lift up the LGBTQIA2S+ community, remove barriers to their financial equality, make them feel accepted, or keep them safe.

BMO hijacked rainbows in one country to help those in another by turning a symbol of Pride into real action. BMO did what only a bank could do: they allowed people to “deposit” photos of rainbows on their phone, triggering a donation from the bank to the Rainbow Railroad.

By hacking rainbows during pride, BMO freed five persecuted members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community from state-sponsored violence and helped give real value to every rainbow.