The Brief

The Australian Bureau of Statistics wanted to raise awareness of the significance of the latest Census data. But most people simply weren’t interested. Our objective was to show Australians who’ve never used the data just how valuable and relevant it is. The best way to understand the true value of the Census data is to use it. So our strategy was to create an experience that would make people actively want to use the data. Our campaign targeted mobile gamers. 51% of online Australians aged 16+ own a smartphone, and close to 60% of them use it to play games.

Creative Execution

Instead of telling people about the data, we created a game that proves to the user just why it’s important. Because Run That Town personalises the player’s experience with customised content and real data, it makes our audience central to the experience and allows players to discover the true value of the data for themselves. Within the game, players can use Census data to make better-informed and more popular decisions. And by making the content of the game entertaining and personalised, we gave the user a reason to talk about and share their in-game experience, expanding our audience.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

We took the data from every one of Australia’s more than 2,500 postcodes and turned it into a game. Run That Town is unique in that it’s built on the real Census data of each postcode, making that data relevant to the player. Desired outcome: - 50,000 installs across the life of the campaign - Top 20 rating and editorial coverage for game within the App Store - Leverage wider conversations about the game to raise awareness of the Census data and the Bureau of Statistics.

Results

Within days of launch, Run That Town shot to number 1 in the Entertainment category on Apple’s App store, outranking popular commercial gaming titles. The game also generated huge amounts of PR, was featured on hundreds of blogs, podcasts and reported on national radio. Articles and reviews have appeared in sites including CNet, Gizmodo, Kotaku and Buzzfeed. But most importantly, Run That Town has already been downloaded more than 65,000 times, giving Australians a new appreciation of the Census data of their own local neighbourhoods, and showing them just how big a role those numbers play in all our lives.