This campaign brought together young video game influencers who stream on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook live, with a group of World War II veterans, all over 90 years of age. This livestreamed meeting between those who play games of war for entertainment and those who truly lived it was a powerful reminder that war is far from a game. The streamers reflected on how video games can glorify war and asked their followers to remember the debt we owe our veterans.

Since WWI, November 11th – or Remembrance Day as it’s known in Canada – has been a day to honour veterans around the world and to raise funds to support veterans in need. But in recent years, the tradition had begun to fade, particularly with younger generations whose only real experience with war has come through online gaming. As a result, awareness and donations were on the decline.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the Royal Canadian Legion couldn’t take to the streets to sell “poppy pins” and support their main source of donations. Large outdoor gatherings were also banned, limiting the traditional Remembrance Day observations.

We needed a new way to connect with younger Canadians during lockdown and increase donations for the Royal Canadian Legion.

Today, the closest experience most young people in Canada have to war is through popular entertainment media like video games. However, that means that the experience, and sacrifice, of veterans is more abstract and risks being trivialized.

Instead of lecturing young people about the importance of remembering the sacrifices of veterans, we decided to connect with our audience in their world and on their terms. Home Equity Bank partnered with the Royal Canadian Legion to recruit four veterans (all over 90 years of age) to form the world’s oldest e-Sports team, known as “Team Legion”.

Video game influencers on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook Live joined them on virtual battlefields not to play, but to lay down their controllers in respect and to hear their stories and honour their service. The world’s oldest e-Sports team reminded younger generations that war is not a game.

We focused on channels where we knew we could reach younger gamers. Platforms like Twitch, YouTube and Facebook were used to connect with audiences who typically follow and watch their favourite streamers.

These channels were used to generate excitement for the ‘next great e-Sports’ team with forums being used to spread the word within gaming communities. At launch the plan was to build interest in the cause.

On Remembrance Day, November 11, 2000, The World’s Oldest Esports Team - manned by four Canadian men over 95 years of age, actual World War II veterans, took on war gamers to share their actual experiences, remind them that war is not a game and to educate them about the sacrifices of war.

Working with The Royal Canadian Legion, we recruited four WWII veterans, each over 90 years of age. We branded them as an e-Sports team, with a logo inspired by the moment of silence observed on 11/11 at 11 am and worked with gaming influencers to promote a Remembrance Day livestream on their channels.

Each veteran received a rental laptop preinstalled with video conferencing software and a multiplayer Call of Duty game based on World War II. Working around COVID restrictions, our tech team took over their laptops remotely to help assign each veteran a video game avatar so they could stand together, symbolically, in games based on the war they fought. On Nov 11th at 11 am, they shared moments, both in-game and through Skype, with young gaming influencers who livestreamed the event on the leading video game platforms — Twitch, Facebook Live and YouTube Gaming.

The campaign connected with gamers, teaching them about war through the eyes of our hero veterans and generating 6.9 million earned media impressions, including a very significant 342k views of the November 11th livestreams with the veterans.

Educators now use clips of the experience to help students connect with history. As one teacher wrote from Fred Varley Public School in Ontario: “My students were entranced by this. They were able to discuss the games they play and how they glorify war.”

Most importantly, we contributed to a 321% increase in Remembrance Day online donations, resulting in an astounding $831,000 raised in support of veterans through this strategy, during a challenging fundraising year. The average amount per donation also dramatically increased, by 58%.