Hello Hub - Turning Hate Online Into Power for Refugees | Clapboard

Hate Unplugged

Description

Hate Unplugged is a compelling digital campaign launched in Czechia in 2019 for the brand Hello Hub by McCann, addressing a critical public interest issue surrounding online hate speech and xenophobia. Despite the generally welcoming nature of people in Czechia, studies have identified the country as one of the most racist and nationalistic in Europe, particularly visible through hateful online messages directed at vulnerable groups such as refugees. In response, Nadace Varietas, a Czech NGO committed to fostering an open society and supporting the integration of foreigners, initiated Hate Unplugged to transform the negative energy of online hate into tangible positive impact. Through advanced social listening and sentiment analysis technologies, the campaign monitored online hate comments over several months to quantify the energy squandered in these toxic interactions. By calculating the combined energy expended by both the human expressions of hate and the devices used to broadcast them—equivalent to 259,300 watts annually—the initiative converted this wasted negativity into a remarkable resource: free electricity and data provided to the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda. This was made possible through the construction of Hello Hubs, powered by the partnership with Hello World, enabling those targeted by hate to access vital services while symbolically reclaiming the energy that had been used against them. Hate Unplugged leverages innovation and empathy to challenge harmful mentalities online, making a powerful statement about the consequences of hate and the potential for collective digital action to create meaningful change, lighting up lives far beyond the digital realm.

Credits

Client

Hello Hub

Agency

McCann

Chief Creative Officer

Razvan Capanescu

Creative Director

Jan Benda, Joseph Martin, Filip Kukla

Copywriters

Jan Benda, Razvan Capanescu

Art Director

Martin Kraus, Jarmila Šafránková, Jiri Horut

Film Editor

Jiri Horut

Technology

Tomas Kysel

Senior Designer Developer

Kateřina Egerová

Account Management

Iva Nyklesova

Media Planner

Jan Suda

Data Analytics

ZoomSphere

External Affairs

Mihnea Miculescu

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Campaign Proposition

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