Reach Out! Central (ROC)
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Reach Out! Central (ROC)
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Reach Out! Central (ROC)
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BACKGROUND – An online mental health site for youths, Reach Out! Australia launched a “world first” interactive online game called Reach Out! Central to engage young people, and especially young men, in mental health issues. A video game with a difference, ROC was designed to teach teenage boys vital life skills that don’t include weapons!
OBJECTIVES – To get these teenagers to visit and sign up to Reach Out! Central and then interact with positive health messages in the gaming environment. An environment they are all too familiar with.
STRATEGIC INSIGHT – Young men don’t typically talk about their problems. A lot prefer to ‘soldier on’ and ‘just handle it’. As a result, they are a high-risk group when it comes to mental health issues and suicide. A lot of guys escape the harsh realities of life and attempt to regain some semblance of control by immersing themselves in the world of video and computer games where they can take charge.
SOLUTION – Engage and entice our primary target, mostly teenage boys, through the one medium they can all relate to, gaming and gaming characters.
CREATIVE IDEA – Rouse their interest and curiosity by referencing popular gaming genres to demonstrate how ROC could teach them how to handle the challenges of everyday teenage life such as decision making, resilience and anxiety.
MEDIA USED – We hunted down our target through a print, outdoor and transit media campaign backed by online advertising.
RESULTS – In the first two months a staggering 66,000 independant visits to the website were logged and 8,500 new members signed in to play the game. 56% of those were young men.
The ROC target of 10,000 new members was reached in less than 3 months!
