ProtectSet

Background

More than 93% of kids play video games and with the pandemic they are spending more time in their rooms, gaming.

Uncoincidentally, reports of online sexual abuse have been increasing, with reports that some perpetrators have been grooming hundreds and even thousands of victims.

Idea

In a 100-person Fortnite match, one of the easiest ways for a predator to single out young, innocent, approachable players is by their voice.

The idea, then, was to make a small tweak in the usual gaming headsets and modify children’s voices so they sounded significantly older, thus masking their ages and identities.

By repurposing a classic piece of tech (voice modifiers) and giving it a new purpose, headsets were reimaged and transformed into powerful tools and, most importantly, conversation starters.

100 devices were designed and produced, then distributed to dozens of influencers/ youtubers/media outlets across the region and world, culminating in the exposure of the campaign and the devices themselves.

The device alone doesn’t end the issue.

But it has brought the subject of gaming safety into the news and thus into homes where children are playing.

Results

In just 15 days, the initiative gathered 800 million impressions worth USD$10 million in earned media through over 2,000 media clippings and 900 cumulative TV broadcasts. With no media budget, gaming safety became a topic of discussion.

Our Thoughts

The modified headphones are a prototype, of course. But I’d have thought there would be a much bigger market than just parents wanting their children to be safe. It’s a sad indictment of the modern world that women gamers also get subjected to foul abuse.

One argument this idea has already sparked is to question why the games publishers themselves aren’t safeguarding their communities. As MullenLowe themselves say, the product itself won’t bring abuse to an end but it is, at least, getting people to ask what might.