"Rainbow-washing" remains a marketing technique used by brands to sell more products by improving their image and making them appear more inclusive, but it continues to give visibility to the LGBT+ movement
The legendary IKEA shopping bag has had a makeover in LGBT+ colors for Pride month. Image: Thank you for your assistant / Getty Images
This Pride month, many brands have released collections and products dedicated to the LGBTQ+ cause. While, for some, their status as partners and supporters of the community is recognized, for others, it could be more a question of cashing in. This notion has given rise to the term "rainbow-washing," referencing the rainbow flag that symbolizes the LGBT movement.
Another related term is "pink-washing," coined by Breast Cancer Action to denounce brand campaigns using breast cancer for their own profit, which then went on to encompass any political or marketing communication technique designed to change a brand's image in a progressive direction. The term was subsequently taken up for the LGBT cause and is now associated with it.
This year, some actions have sparked controversy, such as Elon Musk's tweet about Tesla's high-scoring record on corporate equality, when the billionaire had previously mocked the use of inclusive pronouns. Earlier in May, Elon Musk scoffed at the arrival of rainbow logos on Twitter, before boasting about his company's inclusiveness a few days later, which only served to inflame the internet.
Similarly, FIFA adopted a rainbow logo and posted a message on Twitter inviting the LGBTQIA+ community to find out "how FIFA is working to ensure the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be a celebration of unity and diversity," even though Qatar is one of the world's most repressive countries for gay people.
It is sometimes difficult to know if brands are true allies of the community, or if they are acting out of pure self-interest. Take the famous IKEA shopping bag or Nike's sneakers, for example. Sometimes shoppers don't know if brands are donating their profits to the cause or simply cashing in on the LGBT community. Plus, it's not enough to donate to the community once a year, especially when some brands continue to fund anti-LGBTQIA+ movements or political parties.