INAMU: The Second Scoreboard
INAMU and Fedefutbol tasked J. Walter Thompson Costa Rica with addressing the massive spike in domestic violence occurring during soccer matches. They needed to reach male fans in the exact moment their emotions were most volatile. The goal was to break the silence surrounding domestic abuse and decrease emergency reports during high-stakes games by making the consequences of violence visible to the entire nation.
Creative Idea
Added a real-time domestic violence tracker to the live soccer broadcast scoreboard.
To expose the hidden surge of domestic abuse during soccer matches, the campaign integrated a real-time 911-call tracker into live broadcasts, turning the game's scoreboard into a sobering reminder that violence is not a sport.
The Scoreboard Where No One Wins
A Direct Pipeline to 911
The production required a first - of - its - kind technical integration between the 9-1-1 emergency dispatch system and the Teletica broadcast graphics engine. As operators categorized incoming calls, data was pushed instantly to the live feed. This ensured the second scoreboard was accurate to the minute, transforming a static broadcast into a live data visualization of a national crisis.
The 690 Percent Insight
Data analysis revealed that domestic violence reports did not just rise during matches; they skyrocketed by 690% during the "Clásico" - the fierce rivalry between Saprissa and Alajuelense. By using the same platform fueling the adrenaline, the team forced a male - dominated sports culture to confront the reality behind closed doors. Executive Creative Director David Carvajal noted that the goal was to "make the invisible visible" at the exact moment emotions were most volatile.
Total Market Saturation
The campaign achieved nearly 100% reach among Costa Rica's soccer - watching population, generating 65 million impressions in a single month. Beyond the $2.25 million in earned media, the initiative broke the "omertà" or code of silence surrounding domestic abuse. It fundamentally reframed soccer matches from celebratory events to high - risk windows, eventually prompting the government to reallocate emergency response resources specifically for game days. Today, it remains a global benchmark for using real - time data to drive social change.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Access to national broadcast graphics and real-time emergency data from 911 dispatch centers.
Category
Public service announcements usually rely on static posters or late-night TV spots that are easily ignored.
Customer
Soccer fans feel intense emotional highs and lows, often venting frustration or celebrating through aggression at home.
Culture
Soccer is a national obsession in Costa Rica, making the match broadcast the most powerful shared cultural space.
Company
Access to national broadcast graphics and real-time emergency data from 911 dispatch centers.
Category
Public service announcements usually rely on static posters or late-night TV spots that are easily ignored.
Strategy:
Weaponize real-time data within a high-passion environment to make invisible social consequences impossible to ignore.
Customer
Soccer fans feel intense emotional highs and lows, often venting frustration or celebrating through aggression at home.
Culture
Soccer is a national obsession in Costa Rica, making the match broadcast the most powerful shared cultural space.
Strategy:
Weaponize real-time data within a high-passion environment to make invisible social consequences impossible to ignore.
Results
The campaign achieved a 40% reduction in domestic violence reports during the matches where the scoreboard was active. It became a trending topic on both Twitter and Facebook. The initiative sparked widespread conversation among the audience, psychologists, and even reached the Congress of Costa Rica, where it was discussed by deputies. The campaign successfully integrated a social issue into the most-watched television events in the country, leveraging the reach of the #1 sports channel.
-40%
reduction in domestic violence reports
690%
increase in violence before the campaign
1st
trending topic on social media
Strategy Technique
Turn Data Into Drama
It transformed cold emergency call statistics into a live, ticking scoreboard, turning abstract data into an urgent narrative that unfolded alongside the emotional highs and lows of the match.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Real-Time Relevance
By syncing live 911 data with the broadcast, the campaign forced viewers to acknowledge that violence was happening simultaneously with the game, making the issue impossible to dismiss as a past statistic.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's brilliance lies in its media planning and data visualization, turning a passive broadcast element into a powerful real-time social conscience.
Hijacking the most-watched space in national television to display uncomfortable real-time data is a masterstroke of placement.
Using the familiar UI of a football scoreboard to represent 911 calls makes the data immediately understandable and impactful.
