The whole world was avid to watch the 2022 World Cup and its repercussions, due to huge controversies that anticipated the event: alcohol prohibition, labor problems along the stadiums constructions, prices, and of course the LGBTQIAP+ statements given by staff and local authorities.

So, if all eyes were on the World Cup, any action that called Qatar into question would need to be cautiously executed. And just like that, we created a global movement, with hundreds of usages in the Middle East and beyond and repercussions in some of the world’s biggest news outlets.

Qatar is one of the most homophobic countries in the world. And in 2022 the biggest sporting event in the world was set to happen there. So, we thought: why don’t we highjack the tournament’s media exposure and coverage to send a message of free love?

It sounded good as a plan. But once the tournament started, dozens of peaceful manifestations of love were met with violence, detainment and confiscations. LGBTQIAP+ pride was being shut down.

So, Corner Magazine hacked the rules and made a pride flag that people couldn’t ban or confiscate. Transforming the biggest sports event in the world into a huge LGBTQ+ protest.

All LGBTQIAP+ demonstrations were banned in the Qatar World Cup with dozens of people being detained and having their rainbow attire confiscated. Then, we decided to create a flag that was impossible to confiscate.

We came up with a Snapchat filter that uses augmented reality to transform all World Cup flags into digital rainbow flags. We gave people a protesting tool that was safe to use at Qatari stadiums, streets and fan fests. And just like that, we created a global movement, with hundreds of usages in the Middle East and beyond and repercussions in some of the world’s biggest news outlets.

We needed to take the message of respect for the LGBTQIAP+ community in a smart way that wouldn’t get people in trouble, within the biggest sports event in the world, hosted by one of the most violent countries against LGBT+ people. Without their biggest symbol: the rainbow flag.

To get our message out there in Qatar and encourage other fans to join, we created a built-in tool that would work in a popular app, with no further downloads and easy to share through social media. We came up with a Snapchat filter that uses augmented reality to transform all World Cup flags into digital rainbow flags.

We needed a solution that was invisible to the Qatari authorities but visible to the whole world. So, we created a Snapchat filter that uses augmented reality to transform all World Cup flags into digital rainbow flags. And just like that, we gave people a protesting tool that was safe to use at stadiums, streets, fan fests and literally anywhere.

With every match, user-generated content swarmed social channels and the movement made itself to global press, highjacking the World Cup coverage and using it to spread a message of free love.

The campaign achieved 62 million in earned media, with over 145 million impressions globally. We had hundreds of protests on every game day, with 0 flags taken and 0 people detained by the Qatari police.

We spread the word of respect in a hostile environment for it, using a free tool to protest, encourage others to join freely and speak up in an organic and natural way.

Pride Nation is an idea for all LGBTQIAP+ football fans who felt silenced during this last World Cup. A right of reply and a cry of resistance for those who suffer in silence in countries where being who you are is still a crime.

Qatar is in the top 20 most homophobic countries in the world according to the 2022 LGBTQIAP+ Travel Safety Index. Homosexuality is illegal in the country and can be punished by up to 7 years in jail. And despite many Qatari Authorities said everybody would be welcomed to Doha, the World Cup Ambassador said homosexuality was a “damage in the mind”, revealing what they really think about LGBT+ fans.

All LGBTQIAP+ demonstrations were banned in the Qatar World Cup with dozens of people being detained and having their rainbow attire confiscated.

We gave people a protesting tool that was safe to use at Qatari stadiums, streets and fan fests. And just like that, we created a global movement, with hundreds of usages in the Middle East and beyond and repercussions in some of the world’s biggest news outlets.