Play For Skateistan

BACKGROUND

UN reports a shocking number of 222 million crises-affected children and adolescents who need education support globally.

Since 2007, Skateistan, the world’s first NGO using skateboarding and education to empower at-risk children in vulnerable societies globally,
has been providing safe spaces for thousands of these children to skate and learn in their skate schools. However, as the world gets more and more dangerous, support for Skateistan is dimming.

So, to respond to this alarming new situation, Skateistan needed more than just another fundraiser.

They needed to grow their support base beyond the traditional skateboarding community and capture the attention of a new and young audience who could support them today – and in the future.

Skateistan operates in some of the most vulnerable areas of the world. In countries like Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa, children are struck the most by crises and conflicts. They are strapped from opportunities – but most of all of education. Especially girls suffer from it, since cultural and societal conditions exclude them only because of their gender. That’s where Skateistan steps in. And provides them with it through various education programs. Giving underprivileged children a chance to learn. But since the geopolitical climate makes Skateistan’s work harder every day, donations were on a new low. That’s why we had to introduce them to a new audience. To raise more support. And help Skateistan to keep providing these opportunities for the children.

STRATEGY & INSIGHT

Community is a core value of the skateboarding culture – and essential to Skateistan's existence.

The groups volunteers and students in each skate school worldwide and or the material and financial support provided by the global skateboarding community, prove it.

So, when it was time to expand its support base, our approach was to introduce Skateistan to a new audience who shares the same values – the online skateboarding community.

The popularity of modification-friendly skateboarding games like Skater XL and Session: Skate Sim revealed an audience insight which became our strategy's cornerstone: players of skateboarding games desire customized gameplay experiences. Using this unique insight, we unexpectedly brought a skate NGO and its under-presented students directly into the gaming world. Giving skateboard gamers all they desire. And enabling them to support Skateistan while doing what they love most. Gamers stopped just playing a game and started playing a part.

THE IDEA

To introduce Skateistan’s cause to a whole new audience and re-ignite the support, we brought the real-life success stories of Skateistan to the gaming world. Gamers can now ride the real-life skateparks and play with characters based on real skateistan students to directly experience the positive impact Skateistan has in the most vulnerable areas. For the first time, gamers can skate online – to help kids in real life.

And help keep providing them with education through the power of skateboarding

CRAFT & EXECUTION

Leveraging the modding culture of the most popular skateboarding games, we teamed up with the best modders, riggers and 3D-artists in the scene to create three playable characters based on real Skateistan students from the most vulnerable areas: Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa.
Paying tribute to their diverse cultural backgrounds and their emotional life stories.

We also rebuilt the real-life skate parks from their local Skateistan schools. Using thousands of real-life images, with painstaking attention to detail. Ramp by ramp, rail by rail.

Additionally, artists from all over the world created unique in-game skatedecks, spreading messages of empowerment.

Finally on UN’s International Day of Sport and Development for Peace, we made all mods available at PlayforSkateistan.com

Where gamers could download and donate to directly support Skateistan’s cause. In addition, streamers, modders and influencers spread the word across the community. Free of charge, full of passion.

RESULTS

PlayForSkateistan turned games like Skater XL and Session: Skate Sim into platforms for Skateistan to tell its stories.

For the first time, skaters from underprivileged and under-represented communities were featured in skateboarding games generating headlines worldwide.

Moders became Skateistan volunteers, contributing with their skills and time to create PlayForSkateistan characters and skateparks.

Streamers became Skateistan ambassadors, producing countless hours of content raising awareness and funds for Skateistan.

Gamers became Skateistan supporters, with more than 1000 downloads in the first weeks and a growth of X% in donations.

With a budget of 0 dollars, PlayForSkateistan reached more than 200.000 gamers in the first two weeks.

Generating funds to provide learning materials for all Cambodian students for the next three years and cover the costs of transportation of all female staff in Afghanistan for a year.