problem

With police killings reaching an alarming record of 326 fatalities in 2024 and with only 20% of fatal
police-civilian encounters being captured by police body cameras, there's an urgent need for transparency and accountability.

idea

We introduced HndsUp, a wearable camera prototype designed to protect Black civilians during police encounters.
Like any major tech launch, we began with a mysterious teaser to spark curiosity and build anticipation.

The device was packed with life-saving features: it could livestream footage to local news outlets in real time, perform a body scan to confirm the user is unarmed, and even call for an ambulance—because every second counts.

THE PRODUCT WE HOPE
TO never LAUNCH.

WRIST-POSITIONED FOR SAFETY

FILMS ORGANICALLY ANDneverCONFUSED WITH A WEAPON.

SPEECH-ACTIVATED

AUTOMATICALLYactivatedBY THE PHRASE “HANDS-UP”.

CLEAR IDENTIFICATION

DISPLAYS A BODY CAM TOrevealYOU'RE UNARMED.

REAL-TIME UPLOADS

UPLOADS FOOTAGE IN REAL-TIME TO LOCAL NEWS STATIONS. SOeveryone CAN BE AN EYEWITNESS.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL ALERTS

CALLS AN AMBULANCE BECAUSE every SECOND COUNTS.

A series of short social videos teased the HndsUp innovation, building curiosity and momentum before the reveal.

the twist

We surprised people by not actually launching HndsUp. Because technology is not the answer. Education is.

Instead, we invited them to support Courageous Conversation, an organization dedicated to equity and de-escalation training. Because while technology can record what happens, only education and conversation can prevent it from happening in the first place.

results

Despite $0 media budget, Courageous Conversation received a 1,173% increase in donations since the campaign launched.

The campaign spread quickly through culture. It was shared by voices in hip-hop like Doug E. Fresh and organically amplified within the Divine Nine, one of the most influential cultural networks in the US. Its significance is underscored by the fact that the Divine Nine includes members such as Kamala Harris and Alicia Keys, highlighting the level of cultural relevance and reach the campaign achieved.