Russian Roulette and Our Digital Lives

Russian Facebook Roulette is a project by the students of Miami ad School, Berlin. The idea is simple: you and your friends spin the virtual pistol and shoot at your facebook profile, running the risk of deleting your entire facebook account and killing the "digital you". If you escape unscathed from the game you're entered into a draw to win a weeks vacation in Russia. Those who are unfortunate enough to lose receive a gold bullet in the post, a physical representation of the bullet that ended their digital life.

Alongside the obvious gambling thrill, the game highlights the idea of the "digital life" and how the value we place on it can be used cleverly in social media campaigns to drive engagement. Examples of other campaigns exploring this area include the famous Whopper Sacrifice campaign by CP+B which asked people to sacrifice their virtual friendships in return for a free burger, and the "digital-death" campaign for World AIDS day by TBWA\Chiat\Day, where a rake of celebrities including Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake killed their digital lives and vowed to bring them back to life when $1 million had been collectively raised for charity.

As the lines between the online and offline worlds begin to blur people are beginning to place a lot of value in their digital lives The campaigns above show how this applied value can be used effectively and creatively to drive interaction and engagement.