65 million people worldwide are displaced from their homes. But news coverage presents refugees as people to fear or pity.

So for World Refugee Day, we worked with YouTube and the International Rescue Committee to give refugees a voice.

We invited 7 popular YouTubers to spend time with refugees around the world - to step aside from the spotlight, and to share their platform.

Through the relationship YouTubers have with their fanbase, and by harnessing refugees positivity and hope, we were able to amplify refugee voices to millions of people.

YouTube wanted to demonstrate its brand mission to "give everyone a voice and show them the world", by making a very visible statement in support of refugees for World Refugee Day. Flying Object were tasked with developing a strategy and creative approach, along with producing the final films.

For many, the refugee crisis is a subject they instinctively turn away from. Even those who are sympathetic, can feel overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, and resistant to content that covers it.

To succeed we needed a way of cutting through to audiences; finding a medium they found engaging and trustworthy. Secondly, we needed a tone that moved us away from either news or charity campaigns; that allowed us find hope in the strength and experience of individuals.

Our solution was working with a group of popular YouTube creators, each with their own passionate audience. Through their unique relationship with fans, YouTube creators become role models, inspiring discussion, empathy, engagement and action through their content.

#MoreThanARefugee: pair YouTube creators with a refugee that shares their platform.

While films of celebrities visiting refugee camps can fall into a repetitive format (a well-meaning American or European celebrity being taken on a trip, packaged to induce maximum pity), YouTubers were invited to embark on this project not as celebrity talent but as creators. Their goal was not to observe, but to create and collaborate with the refugees they met.

Seven films shot in six weeks in five countries. The resulting content was unusually upbeat and inspiring. The creators (and audience) were able to meet the refugees as people, and learn more about their unique experiences, motivations, and hopes.

By focusing on themes and values their fanbases cared about, each creator crafted a video that spoke to their own distinct audience: one in which the refugee participants were positioned not as people to fear or pity, but as relatable equals:

• Tyler Oakley, an LGBTQ+ campaigner with 8 million subscribers, met Shadi, a man forced to leave his home because of his sexuality, and shared his story.

• Family vlogger Rossana Eh Bee met Amira and her children living in Jordan, and connected to each other as two mothers raising families.

• Soccer pundit Francis Maxwell of the Young Turks network met Catherine, a soccer player in Uganda, who taught him about the true power of sport.

• Travel vlogger FlyWithHaifa met Maryam, a teenager who had walked from Iraq to Serbia, and taught her how to vlog her own day.

• Jouelzy, a YouTube creator who talks about black identity in America, met two brothers that had come to America as small children, and are now successful students in Idaho.

• ASAPScience, an education channel, visited a refugee camp and learned “How to Build A Refugee Camp” from residents and staff.

• Poet Suli Breaks created a spoken word poem with a refugee.

These stories were also collated into an anthem film, published by YouTube on their own channel. Reaching a broad audience, this video sent an important message about the importance of to hearing and amplifying the voices of refugees, and YouTube’s commitment to making this happen.

• Launching our anthem video and seven creator videos with the hashtag
#morethanarefugee, Week 1 saw our campaign achieve over 18 million views, across 195 countries

• There was over 980m impressions on social media and passionate debate online with tweets from influencers like John Legend and Ricky Martin

Viewers trusted the authenticity and relatability of their favourite creators, and responded by thanking them for sharing new perspectives, and using their platforms champion new voices.

But we anticipated another response: trolls waiting to respond with negativity and hate. To this vocal minority, the campaign hit a nerve, provoking antagonistic comments and dislikes.

It was here that the power of the creators’ unique connection with fans was able to come to the fore, as they pushed through this noise, and spoke directly to their viewership with authenticity and passion.

And to those who spoke against refugees, YouTube and creators made their position clear: that even if it provokes a coordinated negative response, we stand by refugees, and believe the voices of marginalised communities must be heard, wherever they may be in the world.