With recruiting tougher than ever and most teens unaware that the Army National Guard is the frontline force in disaster response, Team DDB and TMA decided to stop explaining—and start letting students feel it for themselves.
Enter Disasterville, a new mixed-reality experience that converts high school gyms into fully immersive disaster zones using theme-park-grade tech. Instead of hearing about flood rescues, wildfire containment, or earthquake response, students step inside them — together.
Using Meta Quest 3 headsets, five-player local multiplayer, and advanced hand-tracking, Disasterville lets students use tools like oars, hoses, chainsaws, and the jaws of life with natural, controller-free motion. Real props, rescue gear, modular set pieces, and even a full zodiac raft ground the experience in tactile realism, blurring the line between digital and physical. And unlike most premium VR setups, this one shows up free in local schools.
What Disasterville Brings Into a High School Gym:
· Free-roaming, mixed-reality missions based on real Guard disaster responses
· Five-player Quest 3 multiplayer with full hand-tracking — no controllers
· Real props, vehicles, and branded rescue tools integrated into gameplay
· An AR companion app for mission content and in-experience selfies
· On-site Guard recruiters offering guidance and real-world context
· A cinematic hype trailer, teaser signage, and “Break in Case of Emergency” displays
· National Guard social + soldier influencers amplifying the rollout
The experience was directed by Dale Carman, Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director at Groove Jones — an XR heavyweight with 25+ years in film and immersive tech, including the first Oculus Rift VR production and collaborations with Guillermo Del Toro, DreamWorks, Disney, and Ferrari World. Take a look below:
“The Army National Guard’s ‘Disasterville’ effort allows participants to feel the challenges and rewards of serving during moments when communities need us most,” said Lieutenant Colonel Ted Dunham, Chief of the Army National Guard Marketing Branch. “It demonstrates our real impact protecting lives and property — and the personal fulfillment that comes from helping neighbors.”
“We had to put young people in the mission, not lecture them about it,” added John Carstens, Chief Creative Officer at Team DDB. “Disasterville makes the Guard’s work tangible in a way that’s never been done before.”
Erik Nelson, Executive Creative Director at TMA, said the project was three years in the making — born out of the belief that VR could do more than entertain. Earlier collaborations with the Guard, including Mission Day and State of Emergency, proved Gen Z’s appetite for hands-on, purpose-driven experiences.
“Disasterville is the realization of that vision — a team-based experience that turns an ordinary gym into something unforgettable,” Nelson said. “It’s not a VR game. It’s an invitation to feel the teamwork, the responsibility, and the pride of service.”
Disasterville marks the first major experiential activation under the Guard’s “Uncommon Is Calling” platform — a shift toward mission-forward storytelling. After a successful pilot on October 28, the experience is set for a nationwide high school rollout in 2026.
The goal: break through Gen Z’s crowded field of part-time options and show them what real purpose looks like.
CREDITS
Brand: Army National Guard
- Lieutenant Colonel: Theodore Dunham
- Captain: Holly Eichelberger
- Master Sergeant: Duane Nichols
- Master Sergeant: Anthony Valdes
- Staff Sergeant: Adam Szabo
Agency: Team DDB
- President: Chris Pultorak
- Chief Creative Officer: John Carstens
- Executive Creative Director: Erik Nelson
- Group Creative Director: Julia Morra
- EVP, Deputy Program Manager: Holly Springer
- SVP, Business Lead: Pat Book
- Mission Task Lead: Virginia Canavan
- Creatives: Reuben Miller, Chad Hargrove, Tim Koehler, Craig Hamlin, Jakson Lasko, Kat Dudkiewicz, Jeff Oswald
- Designers: Samra Qasim, Dru Jennett
- Producers: Lou Piazza, Kelli Oakwood, Vincent Vallos
- Account Team: Nicole Houchin, Daniel Kim, Brandon Nissen, Julie Eiden
- EVP, Executive Strategy Director: Kevin Richey
- Group Strategy Director: Noelle Baer
- Strategists: Ryan Luke, Sonnie Wooden
- SVP, Program Management Officer: Jenn Wong
- Project Managers: Laurel Savage, Bailey Taylor, Riley Thomas, Evelyn Lang
Game Developers: Groove Jones
- Executive Creative Director: Dale Carman
- Creative Director: Karim Yousseff
- Creative & UX Concepting: Dan Ferguson
- Senior Interactive Producer: Ethan Compton
- Lead Developer: Chris Crowell
- CG Coordinator: Averi Torres
- Network Development Lead: Andrea Simeone
- Developers: Kevin Luecke, Naeem Noman, Benjamin Jillson, Nick Holbrook, Ryan Clark, Julian Noel, Lyn Cua, Cayden Chancey
- Lead Artist, CG Supervision: Chris Fisher
- Technical Artist: Nathan Nodley, Collin Cody-Waters
- 3D Asset Lead: Elliott Johnson
- 3D Modeler: Joy Weimar
- Tech Director: Luis Pineda
- Animators: Tiffany Sweet, Luis Vialobos, Tuqueque
- Senior Designer: Stephen Busfield
- Creative Technologist: Doug Hogan
- Senior Audio Engineer: Andrew Carman
- Audio Engineer: Dominick Biava
- QA: Jonathan Hall
- Systems Admin: Shawn Sterling
- Strategy & Account Lead: Bobby Ennis
- Project Managers: Carlos Chaidez, Katelyn Carrigan
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