Privacy Protectors

Client: WhatsApp

WhatsApp wanted to build awareness of its multiple layers of protection that keep messages private. So, they turned to Twitch - the digital playground of choice for Gen Z and Millennials and home to a community that values authenticity, collaboration and inclusiveness. Together, they set out to immerse WhatsApp in the digital gaming environment through a fun, entertaining, experience.

Twitch’s content is built by streamers, who engage with their communities for hours on end – but they of course need to take a break now and then. The challenge for streamers is that when they take a break, their audience drops off and their revenue shrinks.

WhatsApp and Twitch recognised the opportunity to help streamers by filling the breaks and keeping audiences engaged. And so Privacy Protectors was born - a first-of-its-kind mini-game where Twitch chat work together to protect their favourite streams from space invader-style threats, using projectiles representing WhatsApp privacy features. Success earned the community free WhatsApp subscriptions, and streamers took the opportunity to lead discussions of WhatsApp privacy.

This innovative gaming format transformed a moment when audience numbers and attention typically drop into a rewarding experience for viewers. In the process it engaged the Twitch community with the detail of WhatsApp privacy features, blasting awareness to new levels and powering up message association for WhatsApp as the platform that protects users’ privacy.