Arcade Unplugged

The Change that Matters

When “brain rot” became Oxford’s Word of the Year, families were craving real connection, but the digital wellness space was dominated by fear-based messaging. Telecom brands were stuck in connectivity wars, and nobody owned joy. Verizon saw the opening to become the first telecom brand to champion digital wellness in a hopeful, human way.

The Work

Families aren’t addicted to their phones; they’re addicted to the content. So Verizon flipped it, transforming popular digital games into immersive real-world experiences. Launched on the Global Day of Unplugging with a Drew Barrymore-hosted Digital Wellness Summit, the Verizon Arcade Unplugged welcomed schools, community groups, and families to play together, phones down. Strong demand drove Verizon to expand into a 12-week national tour across 15 events in five states.

The Impact

The campaign drove 105,000+ new Verizon Family app users, 11,000+ in-person participants, and 168 million in media reach, achieving 41% competitive share of voice. 43% of coverage identified Verizon as an unexpected digital wellness champion. Judges praised it as bold and counterintuitive, noting that a tech company had the nerve to adopt a direct anti-tech message.