Rise of the Aggro-rithm
Defining the Rise of the Aggro-rithm to help Vodafone call for a safer internet.
The brief
Misogyny is rising fast among young boys online. Vodafone, working with its charity partners, wanted to highlight the problem during Safer Internet Week.
The strategy
Identify the invisible force driving it — AI-powered algorithms — and make it visible, so parents could be educated and social platforms lobbied to be safer by design.
The idea
Naming the problem "Aggro-rithms", quantifying the speed at which harmful content spreads, and dramatising the social feeds of young men through a film featuring an invisible, malicious "friend" called AI.
The results
280 media articles and the lead news story on Good Morning Britain. 3.7m video views, 40,000 clicks and 1,000+ petition signatures. 55 MPs engaged, with meetings secured with Ofcom's Online Safety Team. Featured in coverage of Labour's plan to tackle misogyny in schools, and the name "Aggro-rithm" has since been used in academic studies. A 28% increase in agreement that Vodafone is a brand that pushes for change in online safety. PR Week Technology Winner.
Credits
Client: Vodafone
Agency: Tin Man