Virtual discourse can quickly devolve into mudslinging. OpenWeb wanted to change this by fostering safe and healthy online forums. So when it approached DCX Growth Accelerator for its first-ever advertising campaign, the companies embarked on a shared mission to elevate digital conversation.
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The campaign, “Healthier Online Conversations,” forced trolls to confront online victims in person. With the help of experimental filmmaker Tatia Pilieva, the companies identified some particularly vitriolic trollers and brought them face-to-face—via Zoom—with their targets. The topics ranged from COVID to #MeToo to the Second Amendment. The intention wasn’t to shame participants or come to a resolution, but to reveal the real people behind virtual conversations.
The campaign was a success, and OpenWeb has grown 30% since the series. It is now working with 700 publishers worldwide to improve online discourse with 100 million active monthly users.
“We have no words to thank [DCX] for an incredible campaign," said Nadav Shoval, CEO and founder of OpenWeb. "You took it all the way and dove deep into the story and the souls of the people who took part in it. Your integrity as creators is felt not only by us but also by everyone who sees these videos. We continue to receive unbelievable responses from people, not because it's an awesome video, but because they believe it and see the potential in the product.”
