Sweden has enjoyed unbroken peace for over 200 years. However, since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we've witnessed increasing tension in the region. Moreover, as climate disasters become more common, we need to boost our preparedness.

The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency is responsible for the nation's overall preparedness in times of crisis. This pertains to the ability to help oneself and others. But only four out of ten Swedes said that they could manage a week on their own, before the campaign.

The brief aimed to make Swedes better prepared, instill a more positive attitude towards home preparedness, encourage more people to go from thought to action, and have as many of Sweden’s municipalities to contribute during the annual Emergency Preparedness Week.

The media insight is that our target audience prefers to stay within their social channels, and that interactivity and immersion are important for instigating action.

Research indicates that experiences centered around us are more effective. The same goes for when we need to work together to achieve something. At the same time, streaming has become increasingly prominent in popular culture. Borrowing from the world of TV and movies, we created an alternate reality where a crisis happens.

“Seven Days” is a real-time multiplayer crisis exercise where the story unfolds over time and digital space, connecting the entire campaign over a week. A dramatic trailer offered a glimpse from the other side, inviting the audience to step into the crisis.

Using interactive social media ads and scenes from the trailer, the audience partook in a new interactive storytelling format. They didn’t only get to experience the crisis, but also shape how it would unfold in the coming days. All to make an important point: Sweden's ability to handle the crisis hinges on your actions.

MSB targets all citizens aged 16 and above. However, a deeper analysis of the target audience reveals that the primary focus should be on the "Could do more"/"Planner" group. They have the knowledge and the right attitude but haven't yet acted. The analysis and pedagogical research provide us with three fundamental principles for motivation: situational relevance, specificity, and interactivity.

By enabling the target audience to understand the crisis from within and influence its course, we engaged the brain's reward center. The drama and aesthetics were drawn from popular culture, as far removed from the government image as possible. "Stranger Things" was the most streamed series of 2022.

They could stay within their social channels and be engaged by watching and interacting with content.

The call to action was formulated as a question: "What do you do?"

We created an experience that seamlessly merged film and interactive social media ads, with the help of Instagram's poll function. This represented a unique approach to working, taking conversion to a new level and allowing the audience to stay within their preferred media channels.

The campaign launched nationwide with film trailers on social media in the second week of September 2023. After two weeks of building awareness, the multiplayer exercise launched on Instagram Stories and ran for exactly seven days. This was also the week when other actors were encouraged to create their own activities with the help of the story that was made available in print form.

Having likely seen the trailer and some activities arranged by public actors, people all over the country got to place themselves in the story and shape Sweden’s fate with the help of our interactive social media ads.

15,000,000 earned media reach.

110,000 page visits.

18,000,000 total impressions on social media.

500,000 Swedes reached by multiplayer exercise ads each day.

A follow-up generated the following results:

7/10 of Swedes were positive towards the campaign.

8/10 of Swedes thought the message was clear.

8/10 of Swedes agree that practicing for a crisis strengthens the entire country.

4/10 of Swedes will talk about the campaign with someone they know.

6/10 will act on the campaign message.