Ad of the Day: Minesweeper IRL game drives awareness of the world's active landmines
The campaign is the work of the ad agency Mutant for the Nobel Peace Prize-winning NGO Handicap International.
If you grew up in the 90s then there’s a fair chance you will be familiar with the game Minesweeper. The iconic logic puzzle features a grid of clickable tiles, with hidden ‘mines’ scattered throughout the board. The objective is to clear the board without detonating any of them.
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With over 100m real active landmines across the globe in roughly 60 countries, the team at Mutant is using this computer game to drive awareness and raise funds for Handicap International to help victims.
Players of this game version can experience how it feels to walk in the shoes of real de-miners in Ukraine, Iraq and Laos. Throughout the game, participants are introduced to some of the victims and 270 Minesweeping heroes who clear contaminated areas daily. For them, this is anything but a game.
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“We employ 4793 people in 8 countries and are active in more than 60 countries. Our mission requires a lot of time, a lot of financial resources and a lot of risk. Locals are trained by Handicap International as de-miners, awareness-raising sessions are given to the local population, and we provide support in the form of prosthetics and rehabilitation care,” said Antoine Sépulchre, general director of Handicap International Belgium.
“However, we are already short of hands and financial resources and, given the current global situation, this will not improve in the coming years. We are highly motivated to make the world a safer place one mine at a time, but we cannot do it alone.”
To coincide with the activation, there will also be a TV, digital, cinema and print campaign running.
“To most people, landmines appear to be something from the past. Unfortunately, the issue is more present than ever. So, we wanted to raise awareness in a recognizable and emotional way via an experience. Minesweeper is one of the first mini-video games that almost everyone has played; from 1992 it was included in the standard install of Windows,” added Jonathan d’Oultremont, creative at Mutant.
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“When you apply this same game set up to real maps, with real data on the number of mines and casualties, the experience takes on a whole new dimension. That’s how we turned the iconic minesweeper game into a fundraising tool to sweep mines in the real world.”
Funds raised are used to de-mine contaminated areas, organize awareness sessions teaching children and adults how to recognize mines and avoid accidents, and facilitate access to prosthetics, rehabilitation care and psychological help.
Credits
Agency: Mutant
Brand: Handicap International
Client: Antoine Sepulchre, Nina Vanhuysse, Thibault Conrotte
Business irector: Maarten De Cuyper
Creative and strategic director: Odin Saillé
Creative director: Ruben Van Maldeghem
Creative: Jonathan d’Oultremont
Copywriter: Simon Pyson
Copywriter: Iris Nuyts
Copywriter: Barbara Dzikanowice
Client director: Chantal Claes
Client manager: Tibo Gevens
Client Executive: Robin Mosch
Design director: Frank Schouwaerts
Designer: Tjen Colman
Web development: In The Pocket
Production Company: Fledge Creative Partner: Diederik Jeangout managing partner: Roeland Jeangout Director: Maria Leon Offline edit: Maria Leon Online edit: Joris Willems VFX: Studio Plankton Grading: Xavier Dockx Sound Studio: Sonhouse
Voice: Axelle Red