Midterm elections arguably matter more than presidential elections, yet historically, people just don’t show up. Our objective was simple: galvanize young people, the largest voting bloc yet, to make their voices heard and prove they can make an impact.

We took politically charged objects and removed all color and context, creating powerful, democratized iconography for people to reexamine specific political issues. Then we asked them why they were voting, creating a platform for people to speak on the issues that matter to them, motivate others to make their voices heard, and ultimately drive everyone to the polls and make the midterms matter.

When it comes to any voting initiative, people are constantly bombarded by the same old cliché: visual clutter and generic, cringe-worthy messaging to vote. There was usually no mention of political issues and no directive to register. For young people and first-time voters, who measured to the largest voting bloc yet, this was ineffective. We also knew that 54% of young people say that issues get them to the polls, so we decided to champion the youth by championing the issues.

We created on-air spots, social posts, and more, leading them to the VICELAND voicemail line — a mainstay of VICELAND branding. Those messages were used to create more on-air spots and social posts, pushing people to the campaign hub where they can register to vote, listen to other people’s messages, and create their own custom asset to share.

To reinforce the gravity of showing up to the polls, we shut down VICE on one of the most important days of the year: National Voter Registration Day. The online roadblocks, “dark” hours on TV, and social takeovers that urged people that Instagram, Facebook, TV, and more can wait — go register. We used our platform again on voting day, hijacking all of our channels for a bigger, more urgent cause.

By championing the issues and letting you people speak, we drove nearly 18,000 new registration in what would be the highest midterm election turnout since 1914.