gamifying tough conversations for good

In Oklahoma, teens are becoming addicted to tobacco and nicotine at alarming rates. In a state where 21.8% of high schoolers are vaping, and kids as young as 11 years old report using e-cigarettes, the situation is dire. But, there’s hope – although many parents are unaware of how impactful a simple conversation can be, our research indicates that talking with kids about the dangers of tobacco can create significant change and contribute towards teens quitting or never starting a nicotine addiction.

To achieve our client’s objectives, we wanted to address these issues by creating an avenue for parents and kids to enter into simple discussions about tobacco and nicotine products and the associated health issues. However, research made it clear that these conversations don’t come easily… so we set out to lessen the barriers, make the perceived burden of a conversation much lighter, and present the topic in a fun and enticing manner. How? An immersive online experience that gamifies tobacco prevention education, tailoring learnings to specific age groups and creating an entertaining space for tobacco conversations.

Our vision came to life on the client’s campaign microsite, TalkAboutTobacco.com. Here, visitors were encouraged to enter the Interactive Learning Experience by first selecting the age group relevant to them.

This resource was designed to be applicable to any parent who walked through it on their own, but also an easy and appealing activity for a parent and child to experience together. For parents seeking only for the hard facts to back up a future conversation with their kid, the experience could be condensed down to fact sheet-style PDFs.

Users who played the Interactive Learning Experience were met with factual, simple education about the dangers, prevalence, marketing schemes and health effects associated with tobacco and nicotine use. These teachings were accomplished through colorful, playful games and experiences. Each age group’s learnings were tailored to meet the kid in their stage of life, with varying education examples and game difficulties most relevant to their age. These activities, teachings and games deliberately prompted conversation, hoping to engage parents and children in discussion about the overarching issue.

In the first 6 months following the launch of the Interactive Learning Experience, over 15,000 people played the game and learned about tobacco’s dangers.