You’d think that the United States of America is the land of all possibilities. A place where all people have the same rights. That it is a democracy and that’s why everyone would be entitled to believe that all citizens are naturally taken and treated equally. Sadly, things don’t look that way. Reality is totally different than what we would expect. And Boost Mobile, along creative agency 180LA, figured out what’s wrong with the voting system in America, via our weekly #ThrowBrandThursday column.
According to research, around 10 million Americans faced long lines when they went voting during the last presidential election. People coming from poor backgrounds, lower-income, and minority voters were the ones who were most affected. To paint an image of what they had to go through, keep on reading: They waited for hours to get a chance to vote and express their decision. Why did that happen? Because in such backgrounds, there were fewer voting machines and poll workers in fewer polling stations, while they also had more difficulty finding their polling place. Hey, America! You say you love democracy, but this doesn’t seem very democratic to us… Unequal voting access is preventing all voices from being heard in the country. So, what did you do to get rid of this issue?
Boost Mobile used its omnipresence in low-income neighborhoods to speak about the issue and actually do something for these poor people who were taken away—indirectly—the right to vote. The prepaid telecom brand decided that these people don’t have to lose the fight against the system. So, together with the Los-Angeles-based agency, they transformed its stores into official polling places, making it easier for people coming from disadvantaged places to make even their voices heard.
Boost Mobile’s stores are located in such affected communities. That’s why it became clear for the brand to step in and shed light on this issue. People needed to vote and the company was there to help (not just) their customers express their opinions and right. “Typically, people vote at government locations such as libraries and schools, even National Guard armories have been used. The breakthrough moment came when one of our team members remembered that he had once voted at a local car dealership, a business. Which meant it was—at least in theory—possible for a Boost Mobile store to serve as an official place to vote. We were on to something!” explains a representative of Boost Mobile.
The campaign, supported by a video and a dedicated website, received massive success. It scooped prime awards at prestigious events and, best of all, it led to an actual 23% increase in voter turnout. “We’re proud that we were able to show what’s possible when government and a corporation work together for the good of those we both serve,” concludes the brand. We can definitely say that this is what a community needs to thrive in a place that doesn’t pay much attention to all of its citizens. Praise to Boost Mobile!