Ad Council Activism Campaign
How do we get "arm chair supporter" millennials to take real action toward sustained allyship?
The Research
We’ve all seen it firsthand on our own feeds or timelines, less stories reposted, less resources linked in bios, less little squares calling for donations. What we have all witnessed is a 90% drop in engagement and online conversation surrounding Black Lives Matter.
But when you really think about that major drop in engagement, it all comes down to a psychological truth and the sheer enormity of the issue. The scope of systemic racism is so large, that it leaves people of privilege feeling paralyzed and overwhelmed. Even though that point of view comes from a place of advantage and comfort, those feelings are real.
Our audience is not at all indifferent, they are just intimidated. So instead of fighting for what the know is right, they do nothing.
The Strategy
In the same way a million little sparks lead to a wildfire, this campaign asks people to share a million little actions that that kindle true allyship.
(Maybe you do the research in your area and only eat out at Black-owned restaurants this month, post about that. Maybe you buy prints from a Black artist you’ve always followed, post about that. Maybe you go to your first protest, maybe you have a tough conversation with your grandma, maybe you call out your friends micro-aggressions.)
These might be the kinds of things White people are cautious about posting right now, I know I totally am. We want to be respectful, we never want to seem like we’re showing off.
Of course, we are aware of the association and risk of performative posting but this encouraging framework gives people permission to be proud of their true involvement in this movement.
We’re asking people to take real action off screen and then share their experiences to inspire other to do the same.
The hashtag #IgniteTheFlame gives them that reason.
Performative Social Activism
The online conversation surrounding Black Lives Matter decreased 90 percent after Black Out Tuesday (the day black squares flooded social media feeds).
Hashtag usage and overall search interest and engagement in Black Lives Matter has decreased over 90% since June 2nd--the day everyone posted Black squares.
Ignite the Flame - Offline
We created a social media campaign with a tangible visualization of the impact one conversation can have to inspire people to take action.
A physical flame activation fluctuates as the conversation surrounding Black Lives Matter grows online. The activation will be located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to honor George Floyd and the Black lives lost in the past. The sculpture reflects the Statue of Liberty’s freedom torch because the Statue of Liberty was originally gifted to the US to celebrate the end of slavery.
