Global creative agency Iris has unveiled a major new international brand campaign for privacy software firm World, in a bid to subvert outdated ‘captcha’ requirements across the internet.

Designed to act as a high-impact outdoor statement, ‘Real World Captchas’ shows oversized captcha-style image grids installed in real urban environments in various cities around the world.

The campaign will help launch ‘Word ID’, an anonymous proof of humanity for the internet that claims to be ‘easy, secure and private’, aiming to do away with captchas once and for all.

“Proving you’re human is becoming increasingly important online, but the ways we do it are increasingly irritating and, even worse, ineffective. World ID is a simple and anonymous proof of humanity built for the age of AI,” said John Patroulis, chief marketing officer, Tools For Humanity, a contributor to World.

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“To make people aware of it, we reminded them just how ridiculous the current method actually is. The best ideas are simple and surprising. With real world captchas, we’re trying to capture attention with something as playful as it is provocative,” he added.

The installations closely mimic the visual style of online captchas, including the infamous square that barely grazes the object, to create a relatable reaction from anyone who has ever been annoyed by the technology.

“For years, we’ve tolerated captchas as a necessary evil. This campaign challenges that mindset,” said Menno Kluin, global chief creative officer at Iris Worldwide.

“We’ve taken something people are used to ignoring online and dropped it into the real world to make it unmissable. It’s a disruptive creative device with a clear message: there’s a better way.”