AXA and Publicis Groupe Belgium Launch the First Escape Game Designed to Help Teens Break Free from Bullying

AXA Insurance, together with Publicis Groupe Belgium, has launched “Escape Bullying”, the first escape game created to confront and decode school bullying. Built around a series of immersive rooms and hidden clues, the experience challenges players to decipher warning signs, unlock conversations and break the cycle of bullying. With this initiative, AXA moves beyond traditional insurance protection to take action where it matters most: prevention.

In Belgium, 1 in 5 children experience bullying. AXA had already extended its legal protection insurance to include psychological support for youngsters affected by bullying. But with Escape Bullying, the focus shifts from repairing damage to stopping it before it happens.

“As an insurer, we repair harm. But we also want to prevent it,” says Pauline Kinet, Head of Communication, Brand and Sustainability at AXA. “Escape Bullying gives families and schools practical keys to unlock dialogue early — before situations spiral — and to help young people break free.”

The 30m² physical escape game immerses participants in the story of Sacha, 14. It begins at breaking point: his backpack has been thrown into the school toilets. From there, players work backwards through a reverse timeline — moving from the

toilets to the gym changing rooms, the classroom and finally Sacha’s bedroom — to uncover how an ‘innocent’ joke can escalate into systematic bullying.

Under pressure, players experience what it feels like to be trapped — and discover how witnesses and victims alike can play a role in defusing the situation.

The concept was developed with anti-bullying organisation Kies Kleur tegen Pesten to ensure emotional accuracy and educational value.

“The aim is to allow young people, parents and teachers to safely experience the real impact bullying has on a teenager,” explains Sabine Coppens of Kies Kleur tegen Pesten. “By stepping into Sacha’s story, they learn to recognise warning signs, build empathy and discover concrete ways to respond. It’s about breaking the silence — and breaking the cycle.”

For Publicis Groupe Belgium, the medium is the message.

“An escape game creates tension. It makes you feel stuck, with no obvious way out,” says Jonathan d’Oultremont, Creative Director at Publicis Groupe Belgium. “That’s exactly how bullying feels. We turned an invisible reality into a tangible experience. It may seem inescapable — until you find the keys.”

Alongside the physical installation — developed with Let Me Out and open for the next nine months — Publicis Groupe Belgium created an online version to extend the impact nationwide.

The immersive point-and-click experience places players inside a teenager’s bedroom. By interacting with everyday objects — a phone, a laptop, a backpack, a diary — they uncover hidden dynamics, decode harmful messages and make choices in realistic scenarios such as group chats and rumours. Designed as an accessible classroom and family tool, the digital game helps turn awareness into action.

Both formats conclude with a practical toolkit offering clear guidance on how to intervene and support someone facing bullying. Beyond the experience itself, AXA and Publicis hope Escape Bullying becomes more than just a striking initiative. The ambition is to create a tool that helps open conversations about bullying between young people, parents, teachers and school communities.encouraging dialogue, empathy and action long after the game ends.

Book the escape game or play online at https://www.escapebullying.be

Credits

^{AXA ​}

^{Head of Communication, Brand & Sustainability: Pauline Kinet}

^{Head of Brand, Social & Media: Luc Latour}

^{Senior Spokesperson and Press Relations Manager: Rodolphe Van Nuffel:}

^{Press officer: Laurent Javaux ​}

^{Publicis Groupe Belgique}

^{Executive Creative Director: Jan Dejonghe}

^{Creative Director: Jonathan d’Oultremont}

^{Creatives/concept providers: Najate El Achari & Nina Welch}

^{Art Director: Najate El Achari}

^{Copywriter NL: Nina Welch}

^{Copywriter FR: Jack Rees}

^{Client Lead: Stefanie Durieux}

^{Account Director: Amandine Clio}

^{Account Executive: Eline Van Loo}

^{Digital Marketing Lead: Philippe Haine ​}

^{Strategy Director: Yves Van Landeghem}

^{Chief Transformation Officer: Matthieu Vercruysse}

^{Head of PR & Influence: Astrid Mattelear}

^{Senior PR Account Manager: Mathias Renaux}

^{PR Account Manager: Céline Cartilier}

^{Head of Production: Monia Kayila}

^{Head of Art: Sacha Lempereur}

^{Design & DTP Lead: Romaine Dhainaut}

^{Creative Designer: Sacha Lempereur, Christopher Goossens, Bertrand Lefèvre}

^{Motion Designer: Sacha Lempereur, Christopher Goossens}

^{Sr Infographist/DTPer: Thierry Staes}

^{Print Producer: Marleen Hemeleers}

^{Sound Lead: Tom Garcia}

^{Sound producer: Saartje Goris}

^{Sound Engineer: Mathias Lewis}

^{Production coordinator: Daan Feytong}

^{External production}

^{Association Kies Kleur Tegen Pesten}

^{Coordinator: Sabine Coppens ​}

^{Let Me Out}

^{Direction technique et artistique: Bruno Willemarck}

^{Peintre: Thomas Wallet}

^{Menusier : Farside Crash}

^{Print operator: Quentin lagache}

^{Programmeur: Juan Alvarez}

^{Video Mapping, Animation: Maria Ilia}

^{Carrelage: Jimmy Superstar ​}

^{Wildcat production}

^{Game Director: Yanis Sabir,}

^{Production Director: Yassine Lachheb,}

^Caracal

^{Digital Production Partner}