- Live action production | editorial | graphic design | animation
Humanizing Data
Working in partnership with Facebook, Stanford University’s Persuasive Tech Lab, and Social Interactive, Hiker designed and developed a global media program to translate Facebook friending across international conflict borders into stories about real people.
Data as a Narrative Discovery
Friends Without Borders was ignited after Facebook engineers developed an analytical tool to measure friending across geopolitical conflict zones, only to discover that cross-conflict friendships were profoundly increasing. With a technology grant from the United Nations, our team built an innovative participant-driven campaign to explore Facebook friending as a tool for peace.
Using Programmatic to Reach the Right Audience
Harnessing Facebook’s powerful dataset, the campaign launched with programmatic advertising to individuals who specifically lived in (and had Friends on the other side of) four geo-political conflict zones. The request: nominate you and your friend to be Peace Champions.
“I learned to look past the prejudice I personally had. I never had anything against Greece and Greek people but I learned to love Kurdish people, Armenian people. I started to make more friends and listen to their stories, their religious beliefs and all. ”
– Zeynep, Peace Champion, Turkey
“I learned to look past the prejudice I personally had. I never had anything against Greece and Greek people but I learned to love Kurdish people, Armenian people. I started to make more friends and listen to their stories, their religious beliefs and all. ”
– Zeynep, Peace Champion, Turkey
Knowing When to Use First-person Documentary
With eight Peace Champions selected, Hiker provided training and technology to have each of them capture their own lives. First-person documentary allows for unparalleled intimacy at the expense of elevated image and audio quality. We chose that intimacy. Hiker arranged for the return of the cameras, and edited the pieces for Facebook to share.
The Larger Story
Hiker also created a short documentary with project leads from Social Interactive, Stanford, and Facebook to create a view of the entire program.
Watch Lead Video 2017
The Results
The program established the measurement platform for Facebook’s ongoing peace efforts, which are now continuously measured and captured here. But there were also impact goals: humanize a data discovery and in so doing, influence participants to elevate that role into their personal values. And the Peace Champions have transformed into ongoing leaders, continuing to effect change in their communities. Social Interactive hosts the program’s Facebook page (now called Peacetide) and recognizes the Champions at Facebook.com/peacetide. Follow them there and join the movement!
