We Are The Oceans (WATO) is striving to change behaviour globally via gaming with the launch of ‘The Big Catch’, playable online and through selected mobile game publishers.
25th April 2017, New York City and London: Global ocean preservation collective We Are The Oceans (WATO) today launched the first of a series of initiatives designed to educate and inspire behavioral change around the use of plastics such as straws, bottles and bags, and the devastating impact they can have on our oceans and marine life.
The first campaign, empowered by Playmob, features a game called The Big Catch where, with the help of a rare and endangered Vaquita porpoise, players must navigate through multiple polluted real-world ocean locations and collect as much plastic as they can. Between each level, players are asked specific educational questions designed to teach them key facts about our oceans and the direct and deadly impact of plastic pollution.
The game, supported by UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) and shown behind closed doors to attendees of the Third Annual Sustainable Oceans Summit on Saturday 22nd April, is now available as a playable mobile ad unit, distributed across a range of games as well as being available to play and share online at https://watoceans.org/thebigcatch/.
WATO is targeting the campaign, alongside its future initiatives, at the most hyper-connected and socially conscious generations, Millennials and Generation Z, engaging them on their terms through collaborations with creators, designers, inventors and innovators.
Daisy Kendrick, Founder and CEO, WATO, said: “We believe that the fun and engaging nature of online and mobile gaming has the power to get the message of the oceans to people globally on their terms.
“We’re focusing our first campaign on the issue of ‘plastics’ as they are so permanent, indestructible and one of the oceans’ biggest pollutants. We are challenging players to collect one million lbs of virtual in-game plastics, which we hope will inspire long-term behavioural change and are inviting players to take the WATO pledge and commit to reducing their usage of plastics.
“One of WATO’s goals is to show people the interconnectedness of the oceans with our everyday lives, and how the smallest lifestyle change can make a lasting impact towards protecting the future of our people and planet.”
Jude Ower, Founder and CEO, Playmob, added: “It’s estimated that 6bn hours are spent playing games globally each week. We also know from our work with major NGOs and games makers, just how powerful that medium can be for delivering a social impact message.
“With WATO, it is the first time that an NGO has used a playable mobile ad format to deliver social change, so we are pleased to be working alongside them to make this happen.”
