Game Over: Change the Refs Video Game Campaign for Gun Violence Education
Content Warning: Mentions of Gun Violence
The topic of gun violence and school shootings remains at the forefront of conversation in America. Firearm-related deaths in children rose by 50% in only two years, and more than half of teens are worried a shooting could happen at their school, yet the average American is not aware of specific legislation to combat the increase in gun violence. Change the Ref, a non-profit advocating for youth empowerment in gun violence awareness, had a difficult task at hand: they needed to create a campaign that would raise awareness for common sense gun laws. In a time of political division and constant rhetoric flooding America’s TV screens and Instagram feeds, people didn’t want to see another political campaign. So, how did Change the Ref make them listen?
The answer may come as a shock: turning a school shooting into a video game. In the game, “The Final Exam,” players are students in school when an active shooter threat prompts the user to try and escape the situation. The game takes data from actual school shooting situations, making the game as lifelike as possible. Throughout the short “game,” informational pieces on key bills that advocate for gun safety measures are strategically placed. By collecting all the bills, the player is able to survive, alluding to the idea that by passing these bills, children will be able to find relief from gun violence in schools. For many professionals, gamification stands as a tactic to engage an audience by turning something that isn’t typically a game into one. However, gamification usually appears on shopping websites and the Starbucks app, not in serious issues that require immediate action. Stepping outside the norm is what made this campaign so effective.
This campaign strategy left many people appalled, confused, and, maybe most importantly, curious. Turning one of the most horrific experiences that young people in America face into a video game seems unheard of. Patricia Oliver, co-founder of Change the Ref, put it this way: “Anyone outraged by this video game and the fact that someone developed such an absurd form of entertainment is actually overlooking the exponentially more absurd reality behind our nation's lack of effective gun laws.” Change the Ref saw the opportunity for audiences to immerse themselves into the campaign as a first-person viewer to drive home the need for the bills on the docket. Josh Gross, the chief creative officer behind the project, explains that their “goal was to challenge gamers and present something that really highlights the horrors of gun violence, especially in schools, and to inspire young audiences to enact change on the subject, especially during an election year.” The campaign was effective in portraying this sentiment, and the timeliness of the campaign contributed to its success.
The campaign also wanted to call out the misguided idea that gun violence is a result of violent video game usage. By creating a “violent” video game that became educational as gameplay progressed, Change the Ref took a stereotype often used by politicians to write off tragedies with video games and flipped the script on the narrative. Now, instead of video games “causing the problem,” they were helping to find actionable solutions for gun violence in America.
The job of a good PR professional is to create and maintain a brand’s image with key publics but, when the brand is a disruptor, a status quo changer, and an empowerer, so must be the PR behind it. In the case of Change the Ref, a simple paid advertisement on TV would get lost in the sea of political advertisements, and a TikTok trend wouldn’t have altered the hearts of their audience. Shocking people with a video game was just what people needed to not only listen but truly educate themselves on this heartbreaking yet imperative topic. Non-profit campaigns, especially those dealing with legislation, fight the battle of not using traditional “good feels” messaging found where brands try to grow, but instead can only drive home their point with what the audience’s harsh reality will be if they don’t take action immediately. Now more than ever, disruption is needed to capture audiences’ attention in an overwhelming political landscape, and Change the Ref’s gamified campaign may have redefined what it means to master audience engagement.
About Lauren
Lauren Brasher is a junior at Grand Valley State University studying Advertising and Public Relations, with a minor in Digital Studies and Writing. She currently serves as VP of Professional Development on the PRSSA E-Board. She is also part of GrandPR as an Account Executive. In the future, Lauren hopes to get more involved with both organizations and keep learning about the world of PR!