A hard-hitting, international counter-radicalisation campaign
The brief
Combat Islamic State propaganda that was recruiting vulnerable young Muslims to their cause, destroying communities and families in the UK and abroad.
​
Islamic State (ISIL) weren't just fighting battles in the Middle East, they were fighting a war of words on social media too. We were asked by the Quilliam Foundation to help stop ISIL recruiting vulnerable young Muslims, destroying countless communities and families in the UK and abroad.
​
Watch a comprehensive case study below.
The solution
-
We adopted ISIL’s propaganda tactics and used them to deliver a strong counter-narrative that was aimed, not at those at risk of radicalisation, but at friends and family who might stand a chance of intervening
-
The campaign was spearheaded by our film which we seeded anonymously into targeted social media groups
-
A print and social campaign with aligned PR to raise awareness and start conversations
The results
-
A global reach, with over half a billion media impressions in its first week
-
Nearly 30 million Twitter impressions
-
Nearly 75,000 YouTube views across almost 200 countries, including Iraq, Libya, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia – ISIL’s main recruiting grounds
-
UK schools use the film in their PSHE classes
-
The UN uses the film in its work with UNESCO
Pre-release teaser films
OOH, PR and social content
Billboards were placed in areas in the UK and Europe with confirmed high levels of radicalisation. Postcards that could be used to begin a dialogue with at-risk individuals were given to community centres. The PR packs contained copies of the letter featured in the film and family photos to flesh out the story and drive home the risk of radicalisation to families. Social content used lines from the films and direct statements to drive the message home.
“The slogan at the end of #NotAnotherBrother made me cry.
It made me realise that my words had turned our brothers into weapons."
​
An email from a former extremist after watching the film.