In New Brunswick, debates over trans and queer youth rights and access to comprehensive sexuality education had become deeply polarized. Changes to Policy 713 – which would force teachers to get parental consent before using a student’s preferred name or pronouns – signaled a broader rollback of protections, while online discourse was increasingly shaped by polarized echo chambers and disinformation.
Everything had become “us versus them.”
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights (AC) partnered with Principles to shift the narrative.
Our idea was simple but bold: in an age where polarization thrives online, the most powerful act of resistance is to step away from screens and have real human conversations.
Get Offline & Talk aimed to spark those conversations at scale ahead of New Brunswick’s October 2024 election. The campaign raised awareness, challenged harmful rhetoric, and inspired empathy by showing how 15 minutes of face-to-face dialogue can change hearts and minds.
Our objectives were clear:
By equipping progressive and moderate audiences with both inspiration and practical tools, the campaign seized a critical election moment to cut through polarization, normalize allyship, and ensure conversations about youth safety and education happened where they mattered most – offline, in communities, families, and homes.
We engaged community stakeholders in focus groups, New Brunswick partners in interviews, and deployed a national survey to understand the dynamics shaping public opinion. Our research revealed that while algorithms were deepening divisions online, many New Brunswickers – especially moderates and progressives – still wanted to engage.
They didn’t need to be convinced of the issues; they needed guidance and support to have meaningful conversations offline.
This insight shaped our strategy: build a bilingual digital campaign that raised awareness at scale while also equipping people to act. Reach alone wouldn’t be enough – success depended on moving audiences from passive awareness to active, face-to-face conversation.
The concept, “Get Offline & Talk”, was intentionally simple, making it easy for audiences to remember, repeat, and act on.
Our campaign utilized:
Our execution required agility:
These adjustments, made under tight timelines, kept the campaign on track to launch ahead of the October election.
Most digital campaigns stop at awareness. Get Offline & Talk was built to go further – turning impressions into human connection.
By combining emotionally resonant storytelling with actionable resources and multi-channel execution, we gave audiences not just something to watch, but something to do. This blend of digital scale with offline depth made the campaign distinctive and impactful, creating a unique model for combating polarization.
The campaign exceeded both awareness and engagement goals, proving that Get Offline & Talk successfully moved people from passive online consumption to active, real-world dialogue.
Awareness objectives surpassed:
Engagement outcomes achieved:
Beyond metrics, impact was felt in the stories that surfaced: a pastor sharing campaign videos with his congregation; an uncle thanking AC for helping him better support his trans niece. These moments signaled that the campaign’s message was reaching homes, communities, and unexpected spaces of influence.
Most significantly, the provincial government party that chose to campaign on anti-trans policy did not win the election.
While Get Offline & Talk was one of many factors, it helped shift the conversation toward empathy and solidarity at a pivotal moment. By sparking dialogue across homes and communities, the campaign proved that real conversations can influence not only attitudes, but outcomes.
