Allstate Foundation
Allstate Foundation: Understanding Begins with Empathy
The purple purse project showed that the cost of abuse can be compounded by the cost of leaving.
The Challenge
Financial abuse, a devastating aspect of domestic violence, traps victims by making them economically dependent and emotionally isolated. The Allstate Foundation needed a trailblazing way to educate, engage and raise funds for their mission of eradicating domestic violence through financial empowerment.
The Concept
More than awareness, we aimed to build understanding—by putting users directly in the shoes of a survivor. The unprecedented digital experience was a first-person narrative simulation that used the mechanics of gaming to evoke empathy, deepen awareness and inspire action.
“We raised a record $2.5 million in the first month; $3.1 million in the first year.”
The First-of-its-kind Digital Experience
On a barely-there nonprofit budget, I led the creative direction and UX for an immersive, first-person journey. Users stepped into the role of a stay-at-home mother navigating the crushing realities of domestic and financial abuse.
Survival Instincts
• Every decision came with consequences: Could you afford to leave? Would your bank account be frozen? Could you find childcare, a job or shelter?
•As players moved through each scene, they uncovered how financial abuse silently controls victims, and how to access resources to escape.
•The UX borrowed cues from narrative gaming to build tension, promote empathy and mirror the emotional weight survivors carry daily.
“The visceral experience drove 1B+ earned impressions and made national news.”
Social Media Amplification
The campaign was elevated by celebrity advocate Kerry Washington, whose heartfelt posts drove visibility and engagement.
• Strategic content brought users into the experience and expanded reach far beyond traditional nonprofit campaigns.
• Banner ads placed across high-traffic platforms acted as tension-filled entry points into the experience.
“The effort earned national press on CNN, MSNBC’s Morning Joe and in Time.”
The Impact
We created an experience that was emotionally authentic, technologically enticing and socially shareable. The result: a deeply human, highly innovative campaign that proved the power of empathy.
• Raised a record $2.5M in the first month; $3.1 million in the first year
* Drove 1B+ earned impressions
• High engagement in the interactive simulation, with high time-on-site and completion rates
• Earned national press on CNN, MSNBC’s Morning Joe and Time
• Winner of PR News Nonprofit PR Award
• Dramatic increase in awareness of financial abuse
