- Background*

Leukemia is terrible. But it is especially cruel to the younger population.

In Spain, it is the second leading cause of death in adolescents and

in the world there are approximately 40,000 deaths a year. However, despite this data, 60% of young people do not know about this type of cancer.

This is because most of the awareness campaigns in Spain use traditional media, places where our young target is not.

However, 45% of young people play video games regularly, spending an average of 7.5 hours a week.

So why not talk to them about leukemia where they spend most of their free time?

Our goal was to reach out to these young people and get them to not only generate awareness about the disease, but to join in through and micro-donations in the fight against Leukemia.

- Describe the creative idea

Game modification is one of the most shared and impactful practices in the world of gamers.

So we hacked the game "DOOM ETERNAL" , one of the most famous FPS (first person shooter) games and the most modified by users in history to create a new battlefield: the inner body of a leukemia patient. Thus was born "The Battle inside", a design modification of the game that recreated the brutality of Leukemia.

In order to modify the DOOM game, we were advised by a scientist and so we designed a new game environment with enemies created to put a face to this cruel disease. Each scenario represented a moment of the disease and each enemy you faced represented the fungi, bacteria or viruses that threaten the lives of patients.

This idea wants to turn entertainment into understanding for a generation that needs immersive experiences to generate empathy and action.

- Describe the strategy

Our strategy was centered in spread the message in a target and stimulate the participation and donation:

Phase 1: Organic spread: we generare a campaign in platforms as discord and forums specialized in Mod games to stimulate downloads in the core target of heavy users of gaming.

Phase 2: Mass media coverage: We count with more than 100 local & international coverage of the project and we create gameplays with doctors in mass media to explain with the mod game the different threads of a body facing Leukemia. Spanish celebrities support the campaign in SSMM channels and TV shows.

Phase 3: Streamings + donation :

The final phase was the social revitalization of the mod through a selection of the best gaming influencers in Spain who, through streaming on Twitch and YouTube, managed not only to amplify the message through dynamics with their community but also encouraged the donation.

- Describe the execution

The Doom Mod was developed by a team composed of 3D art directors and game developers for more than 6 months. They worked to generate a design craftsmanship in the scenarios and characters very focused on the usability of the mod. They collaborated closely with doctors and researchers to turn the Mod into an accurate mirror of all the elements that affect patients.

The campaign was present in digital media and social networks.

A microsite allowed users to download the mod and enlist in the fight against Leukemia. Twitch and YouTube channels of streamers were the center of cooperative battles and specialized gaming forums amplified and gave voice to the action.

Through Paypal and Twitch it was possible to make donations for research to fight this cruel disease.

The campaign lasted a month, during which content was uploaded daily to specialized networks and channels, and is still active today.

- Describe the outcome

The Battle Inside has had over 100 millions of Audience and 30 hours of streaming in Twitch & Youtube and more than 1 million of earned media. This campaign increased the donations of Gen Z for Cris Foundation by 800%.

- Confidential information for the jury

The Battle Inside is a free gaming experience, not just an advertising campaign.

The mod is still active and ready for download and play at www.thebattleinside.es. Now, the streams in Twitch and donations continue and the plan for 2023 is to add new languages to the Mod to reach other countries.

Cris Cancer Foundation - The Battle Inside

CREDITS

Alejandro Di Trolio

Jaime Azurmendi

Gold partners