Gamification stuff we love: Bobo cares to save
A few weeks ago I asked for any climate saving gamification campaigns you had come across and thanks to Woon Tan, we had a look at Bobo a bear app, book and measurement tool which helps children and their families save energy. The start-up has come up with an innovative tool that measures your energy use through WIFI and a bear indicator tells you how you are doing. If the bear turns red it’s not good, if it’s blue the situation is neutral and if the bear turns white then you are actually doing well and saving energy. Currently this measurement tool is under development and it is appealing for pre-orders to make sure the tool reaches the market. Check out their website: http://caretosave.me
The idea is to use the story of the Polar Bear Bobo who is under threat of losing his home due to global warming, a storybook helps parents engage children actively in the process of saving energy and a web app makes it possible to measure how you are doing against friends and other families you know.
I like the fact that it makes saving energy very visual, which from a day-to-day measurement perspective is a good thing. The Web app displays in more detail how you are doing and gives suggestions as to what you can improve. The tools would rely on a family pulling together and teaching energy saving from a very young age through a character Bobo the polar bear.
From a gamification perspective having a character avatar with some tamagochi like features to tell an emotional story to encourage behaviour that saves energy is an innovative perspective. Measurement through the character and the web app with progress tracking and the social element of tracking versus other families you know gives it a social element also.
Will you help the bear save his home?
