#PauseToRemember
The campaign asked gamers around the world to pause their gameplay for a moment of silence at 11:00 AM on November 11thâRemembrance Day. Influencers and streamers were recruited to broadcast the message:
â#PauseToRemember that war is not a game.â
The initiative used war-themed games like Call of Duty and Battlefield to create a poignant contrast between virtual combat and real-world sacrifice. A modified gaming console featuring a poppy over the control buttons became the campaignâs visual symbol
Campaign Overview
The online gaming world, with its fast-paced, competitive nature, often operates in a state of continuous action and high-stakes conflict. However, this environment can lead to a sense of disconnect from real-world events. The campaign’s core insight was that while millions of people were gaming, many were unaware of or not fully participating in moments of solemn remembrance, such as Remembrance Day or Veterans Day. The goal was to create a shared, real-world moment of silence within the digital, always-on landscape of online gaming. The campaign aimed to raise awareness for veterans and fallen soldiers and encourage gamers to “pause” and reflect, bridging the gap between their virtual lives and a significant real-world event.
Objective
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Engage millennials and Gen Z in Remembrance Day traditions
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Promote the Digital Poppy initiative of the Royal Canadian Legion
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Reframe remembrance in a way that resonates with gamers and online communities
Problem
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Canadaâs younger generations had limited emotional connection to war history
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Their primary exposure to war was through video games, not lived experience
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The Royal Canadian Legion needed to modernize its outreach to sustain support and donations
Execution
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The Core Idea: The campaign was built on a simple, yet powerful, concept: an unwritten but universally recognized “ceasefire.” It asked gamers to voluntarily stop their competitive, in-game actions at a specific time (11:00 AM on November 11th) to observe a two-minute moment of silence.
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Guerrilla Marketing Elements:
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Community-Led Initiative: The campaign wasn’t driven by a single brand with a huge budget. Instead, it was designed to be a grassroots, community-led movement. The initial push came from influencers, content creators, and veteran organizations who used the hashtag #PauseToRemember to spread the word.
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Leveraging Existing Behavior: The campaign didn’t require gamers to download a new app or visit a special website. It leveraged existing communication channels within the gaming communityâvoice chats, social media, and in-game textâto coordinate the collective action. This made the campaign feel organic and authentic to the gaming culture.
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Simplicity and Impact: The campaign’s strength was its simplicity. The action required was minimal (just two minutes of silence), but the collective visual of thousands of players standing still in a virtual battlefield was incredibly impactful and poignant. This created a powerful, non-commercial moment that resonated with the audience on an emotional level.
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No Commercialization: A key element of its guerrilla nature was its lack of direct brand promotion. The focus was entirely on the message of remembrance, which gave the campaign a high degree of credibility and integrity. The brands that did support it (often gaming companies or hardware manufacturers) did so by sharing the message rather than pushing a product.
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Results
The #PauseToRemember Campaign achieved remarkable global impact, reaching 114 countries and engaging over 800,000 gamers. It generated more than 41 million impressions and drove a 21% increase in digital poppy donations. Most importantly, it established a new tradition for the next gaming generation, blending remembrance with interactive participation.
Lessons Learned
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Meet audiences where they are: Gaming platforms are powerful spaces for cultural messaging
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Symbolism matters: The poppy-over-controller visual was simple, powerful, and shareable
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Emotional contrast creates impact: Juxtaposing virtual war with real remembrance deepened the message
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Influencer authenticity drives reach: Streamers made the campaign feel organic, not preachy
Conclusion
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Widespread Participation: The campaign achieved massive, organic participation across a wide range of games, from first-person shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield to more collaborative games like World of Warcraft. Screenshots and videos of players standing in silence flooded social media.
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Massive Earned Media: The unscripted nature of the event generated a huge amount of earned media. Major news outlets, gaming publications, and influencers covered the viral phenomenon, sharing the emotional stories and images of gamers united in remembrance.
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Positive Brand Association: While not directly branded, the campaign created a positive association for the gaming community itself. It showcased the community’s capacity for empathy and social responsibility, challenging the negative stereotypes often associated with gamers.
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Cultural Impact: The “Online Gaming Ceasefire” became an annual event, a new tradition within the gaming world. It demonstrated the power of a simple idea to create a meaningful cultural moment.
