This Hackathon Got a Minister Fired

In partnership with

Hello Creative Souls,

There’s one sad sight that breaks my heart every time I doomscroll:

‘Viral’ campaigns that are just brands shouting into the void, begging for retweets.

The poor agency probably just got a single line brief - “Make it viral”

But… if you want people to actually spread your message, you need something stronger than attention. You need participation.

💡 The Idea

Czech organizers of Znamkamarada spotted something rotten: the government had greenlit a €16 million contract for a simple e-commerce platform to sell highway vignettes. Yes, you read that right—€16 million for what was essentially a checkout page.

Instead of just moaning on Twitter, they asked a sharper question: what if we built it ourselves?

They called it a hackathon. They made it a 48-hour challenge. And they invited anyone with a laptop and some skills to help.

#ad

Kickstart your holiday campaigns

CTV should be central to any growth marketer’s Q4 strategy. And with Roku Ads Manager, launching high-performing holiday campaigns is simple and effective.

With our intuitive interface, you can set up A/B tests to dial in the most effective messages and offers, then drive direct on-screen purchases via the remote with shoppable Action Ads that integrate with your Shopify store for a seamless checkout experience.

Don’t wait to get started. Streaming on Roku picks up sharply in early October. By launching your campaign now, you can capture early shopping demand and be top of mind as the seasonal spirit kicks in.

Get a $500 ad credit when you spend your first $500 today with code: ROKUADS500. Terms apply.

Holiday performance starts now.

📹 The Execution

The video that documented it followed the classic story arc:

• Problem(Act 1): A government contract dripping with corruption.

• Challenge(Act 2): Can regular programmers do better?

• Resolution(Act 3): 194 volunteers showed up, collaborated, and built the working system—completely free.

The montage was electric: tired faces, buzzing screens, high-fives, and code pushing live. It was more than an ad. It was proof of what happens when frustration turns into collective action.

🔥 The Impact

• The Minister of Transport was fired. (like, legit)

• The contract got canceled.

• A new law was passed mandating open bids for future IT projects.

What started as a video became a movement. And what started as outrage became systemic reform.

✅ Why This Works (and What You Can Steal)

• Participation beats performance. Don’t just ask for likes. Ask people to join in. This is the key to getting your campaign to go viral on Reels or TikTok. Invite people to participate and give them something they can recreate, not just watch.

• Show, don’t tell. You don’t need speeches about corruption when you can show 194 coders outbuilding a multimillion-euro grift.

• Make pride the reward. No prize money. No freebies. Just the joy of proving that citizens can outpace a government machine.

The Gist:

Znamkamarada wasn’t polished advertising. It was raw, participatory storytelling. And that’s why it worked. Because when people see themselves in the solution, they don’t just watch. They build. They share. They fight.

And sometimes, they even topple ministers.

Figment is written by Abbhinav Kastura, a writer/producer who has spent a decade making impactful internet videos and Guru Nicketan, an advertising nerd, B2B Marketer, stand-up comedian, and a film buff.