The Australian Bureau of Statistics launches new ‘Run That Town’ game via Leo Burnett, Sydney

Leo Burnett Sydney and The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have launched an innovative mobile game that gets Australians more involved with Census data by letting players take control of any town in Australia.

Run That Town is the first game of its kind to be released by a national statistical agency using real Census data.

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The ABS was looking for ways to make Census data more relevant and compelling to everyday Australians. In response to this brief, Leo Burnett presented the idea of a location-based simulation game where players are put in charge of any Australian neighbourhood. During the game, players are challenged to make planning decisions based on 2011 Census data to boost their popularity, grow the town and keep the locals happy.

Sue Taylor, director in the 2016 Census, said by using core demographic data, the game demonstrates, in a simple and visual way, the many ways Census data can be used by everyday Australians in a light-hearted and entertaining way.

Says Taylor: “Run That Town offers a unique insight into how Census data can be used. The game is an innovative and fun way to communicate with the public, whileembracing digital media.

“Run That Town is a strategy game with a twist that is intended for a wide audience offering both one-time and ongoing users a unique insight into the value of Census data.”

Says Andy DiLallo, chief creative officer, Leo Burnett Sydney: “The response so far to Run That Town has been overwhelmingly positive. People are finding a game about statistics fun and surprisingly addictive. And they’re discovering more about their local area as well.

“The great thing about this project is we’re not just telling people about the data – we’re giving them a chance to use it for themselves. It’s an innovative way to make those numbers really mean something to the people using them, and to get the community more involved in Census data.”

Run That Town can be downloaded for free from the App Store and played on all current Apple devices. Run That Town was created by Leo Burnett and Millipede Creative Development.

Client/Ad or Campaign: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Mark Hindle – Communications / PR Officer, Census Public Relations