Work
2020-10-19
How We Helped the FDA Shift Teens' Perceptions of Vaping
Vaping is booming. It’s one of the fastest growing industries of the 21st century and not showing signs of stopping. Part of that growth is bolstered by millennials, for whom demand is booming. While health risks are not as high as they are with cigarettes, the product is still not thought to be safe for teens - and this is what the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) wanted to raise awareness of.
The Why
In order to reach the US youth with this message, the FDA partnered with us and Xbox Advertising to launch a Blade Runner-inspired interactive experience.
The game, called ‘Ultimate Runner: Vape Out’, supported the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products’ reach 12 to 17 year olds at a time when vaping is at epidemic levels across the US. The project aimed to harness teens’ love of gaming, inserting health-aware messaging into a fun game experience.
The What
The mini game is inspired by films such as Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell as well as the game Neon Drive and the Cyberpunk genre. It invites Xbox players to take on the role of an endless runner in a futuristic, dystopian city covered in neon lights and multiple colourful vaping images.
“This experience aims to shift perceptions of vaping as being cool and colourful, by directing players to change their approach during the game, placing our important messaging in between successive gameplays. In this way, we aim to educate players about the potential harms of vaping while still offering them a fun experience they can enjoy over and over again.”
Hakan Karlidag, Head of Technology, Waste
The How
As a player moves through the game they are encouraged to avoid the vapes to make the game last longer, while hitting a vape loses a game life. They attempt to reach checkpoints and speed boosts which push them further into the game and rack up their distance score, with signposted warning messages during gameplay acting as reminders of the dangers of vaping.
This project was all about optimisation, as we wanted to take full advantage of the Xbox platform and maximise the game’s capabilities. To ensure smooth animations and rich-level design, the entire game world was procedurally generated, meaning that all its elements were created algorithmically as opposed to manually through human-generated assets.
If you want to check it out, the game can be reached via dedicated ad areas within the Xbox home user interface. Or, if you don't have an Xbox, you can have a go here.
“Our platform enables advertisers such as the Food and Drug Administration to tap into a highly valued audience of young gamers, and working in partnership with Waste, we have created an interactive experience which feels authentic and appropriate for the setting but which enables the FDA to communicate their important messaging around the dangers of vaping. This is a beautifully crafted, highly playable game which is sure to resonate with teens.”
Derek Atkinson, Creative Director, Xbox Advertising