Case Study: When AI Failed—The Story Behind the Kush Crisis Campaign
THE CHALLENGE
Kush—a deadly cocktail of cannabis, opioids, chemicals such as acetone and paint thinners, and even formaldehyde—is devastating Liberia’s youth. Cheap and highly addictive, this drug is contributing to what many describe as a “zombie society”, with users disoriented and disconnected from reality for hours at a time.
Tied to Liberia’s painful history of child soldiers and civil war, the Kush crisis now threatens the fragile stability of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Declared a public health emergency, it spreads across porous borders through criminal networks.
Yet while law enforcement tackles the supply, another challenge looms: capturing the attention of a generation raised online—numb to violence and information overload.
That was the challenge the ENACT project at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) brought to Brand Avatar.
THE SOLUTION
Brand Avatar’s mission is to humanise brands—and the stories they tell. So, when ENACT requested a youth-focused video campaign on Kush, the team knew it had to be bold, immersive, and real.
They began with generative AI to create gaming-style visuals—leaning into the reality that young people consume more game content than any other form of media. Although AI proved fast and flashy, it ultimately fell short—lacking emotional depth, cultural nuance, and visual consistency. As founder Steven Hall put it:
“Generic outputs were easy—but context, consistency, and emotional weight? That’s where AI failed.”
So, they pivoted.
Turning to Unreal Engine, motion capture, and Reallusion, Brand Avatar built a game-inspired world that spoke the language of youth while delivering a hard-hitting message. Each video became a level exploring different facets of the crisis:
- Zogos: The zombified Kush users wandering virtual streets.
- Trafficking: A cinematic chase tracking Kush through Sierra Leone’s forests.
- Warlords: Child soldiers drugged into war, trapped long after the fighting stops.
- Monrovia: Rooftop parkour turns real when smoke on the horizon isn’t part of the game—it’s Kush.
The visuals played like a game—but the message was clear: this is no game.
THE IMPACT
This was not a typical awareness campaign—and that was the point.
“We asked Steven and team to push the conventions for our usual videos and develop products that were a call to action for a youth audience.”
—Catherine Moat, Project Manager
Brand Avatar met young audiences where they already were: online, in-game, mid-scroll. Built for platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, the visuals were familiar, immersive, and hard to ignore. However, the real impact came when the narrative shifted—transforming a game-like world into a gut-wrenching reality.
And it resonated.
Across Facebook and YouTube, the four-part series amassed over 120,000 views. The trafficking video in particular drew significant attention, gaining over 45,000 views on YouTube. That is more than just attention—it is traction.
Even the most sensitive chapter—on former child soldiers—sparked nearly 20,000 views, despite strict platform policies that limited its reach.
Behind the campaign’s style lay a heavy truth: Liberia is in crisis. Over 1.5 million young people are estimated to be addicted to Kush. This campaign did not just inform—it mattered. Because Brand Avatar made a decision that many do not: to step back when AI was not the right tool.
“Creativity isn’t about the newest tools—it’s about the right ones,” said Steven Hall.
“Sometimes, the most human thing you can do is step back, and let the story lead.”
By choosing authenticity over automation, Brand Avatar delivered a digital storytelling series that did not merely engage—it educated, confronted, and connected.
Huge thanks to ENACT and ISS for trusting us with this story.