IKEA’s value in inclusion and visibility for the the 2SLGBTQ+ community has always shown up as action over words - from airing the first commercial to feature a homosexual couple in 1994 to being one of the top workplaces for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

So during Pride, when so many brands become “gay for a day”, IKEA needed to act as they always have, going deeper than just flying a rainbow flag and rainbow-washing communications.

The rainbow flag is the default symbol for support of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and every year during Pride, brands all over the world fly the rainbow flag. But there are many different Pride flags from trans to non-binary to asexual. And the identities that these flags represent aren’t always celebrated equally during Pride.

That’s why IKEA went beyond the rainbow to create 10 custom Love Seats inspired by 10 different Pride flags. Each Love Seat was created by a designer in the 2SLGBTQ+ community and inspired by the story of someone who identifies with that flag. These custom Love Seats turned a ubiquitous IKEA product into a platform to celebrate identity and spark important conversations about underrepresented communities.

When it comes to Pride, brands and the public alike tend to turn their attention to the parties and celebrations that takeover the streets and fly the rainbow flag. But when it comes to Pride, partying is a privilege. The month is about support for the community, but we tend to overlook the diversity that exists within it - the groups who are disproportionately impacted and historically marginalized. We wanted to create something to truly support and celebrate the many diverse groups that make up the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Canada.

IKEA worked with four 2SLGBTQ+ designers to create the Love Seats. Each design used the colors of a different Pride flag and was inspired by the story of someone who identifies with each flag. Then, the individuals who inspired each Love Seat were interviewed on the seats in a film that highlighted and celebrated identity and stories of love.

The Love Seats were placed on display at different IKEA locations across the country, but quickly went global, garnering coverage around the world on everything from late night shows like Jimmy Kimmel to hundreds of news outlets worldwide.

The Love Seats started a bigger conversation than anyone could have imagined, as it trended on Twitter days after the launch. While some took issue with the design inspired by the bisexual flag, the inspiration behind that design became the real story and was used to highlight the stigma bisexual people often face within the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Love Seats was shared online millions of times with an organic reach of over 244 million. It was called “The Most Authentic Pride Campaign of 2021” and became the most talked about Pride campaign in history.