A newly launched initiative aims to reach younger voters where they live and breathe—by issuing a social media challenge. U.S. Vote Foundation and Hook Studios announced the launch of The Big Deal 2018, a midterm mobilization viral marketing campaign with an intent to give a last-minute push to younger voters to get out the vote.
Similar to the wildly popular “Ice Bucket” challenge, The Big Deal relies on a challenge and reward “deal” to motivate young voters to follow through and cast their ballots on Election Day.
The Big Deal 2018 is an unorthodox appeal for a very serious problem: turnout among voters under 30 is alarmingly low in the midterms. In 2014, fewer than 1 out of 6 young people voted.
The campaign aims to recruit more experienced voters—parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents—who know the young voters in their family to reach out and make a deal: the young people post a picture proving they voted on Election Day in return for a promise of no more embarrassing comments on their social posts.
Shira Subar is a freshman at Boston University and agrees: “I’m totally into signing this deal with my mom. Not just because I could use the reminder to go vote, but also because I could do with a little less of her posting my baby photos on my social media,” she said, in a news release.
“Young voters have the power to influence the election. The Big Deal 2018 is our way of stressing the importance of voting—with a little humor—to remind them that they need to show up to the polls,” said Michael Steele, chairman of US Vote, in the release.
“This initiative turns experienced voters into advocates, and gives them an original reward that appeals directly to the young voters in their family: no more ‘mom’ or ‘dad’ jokes if they vote,” added Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, president and CEO of US Vote, in the release.
Here’s the group’s treaty:
