Control the Trolls

Objective

Give people in Tennessee who gamble a clearer way to spot the moment play stops being fun. Funded by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Control the Trolls needed a home online that names the manipulative inner voice that pushes you to bet longer than you meant to, without lecturing, and points people to real support through The Gambling Clinic.

What we’ve done

1. The Control the Trolls brand and logo
2. The Troll personas: Thrillip, Betty Omen, and Phil N. Lucky, each with a look, a voice, and a habit they prey on
3. Social media, including the campaign’s Instagram reels
4. A custom WordPress block theme, designed and built from scratch
5. A page for each Troll: Thrillip, Betty Omen, and Phil N. Lucky
6. “Troll Tactics,” a confidential playbook of the tricks they use
7. A spot-the-troll game: read the line, make your guess, flip the card
8. “Your Arsenal Against Chaos”: Set Your Limits, Take a Breather, Track Your Play
9. A clear path to help through The Gambling Clinic on every page

Creative process

1. Name the enemy: the site gives the voice behind “one more bet” a face, so people can recognize it without feeling judged.
2. Make it personal: each Troll is tied to a real habit. Thrillip works on Conner’s sports bets, Betty Omen on Donna’s slots and lucky charms, Phil N. Lucky on Marcus’s lottery numbers.
3. Let people play: the playbook, the flip cards, and the Troll’s own lines put the tactics in front of people in a way they want to explore.
4. Hand over the tools: limits, breaks, and tracking sit right alongside the story, with support one click away.

Conclusion

Control the Trolls takes a heavy subject and makes it something people actually want to explore. The Trolls do the talking, the tools do the work, and help is never more than a click away.