Starting a ripple effect
In the beginning of 2008, British Gas wanted to start a ripple effect in tackling sustainable issues from the ground up. Through its new Generation Green programme it decided to target and empower kids to create a new movement. Having noticed how children would practise new skills through playing games online. We decided to introduce a good vs evil online game – which pitted good, clean, green living against evil, wasteful, archaic environmental disregard.
On the side of good, we have the eco-rangers, headed by Professor Green and his super-smart assistant J0b0t. They are pitted against Baron Fossilosis who has turned humans into mindless, energy guzzling wasters. The eco-rangers are charged with rescuing Fossil Island from destruction through their own sustainable actions.
The game
The eco-rangers are charged with rescuing Fossil Island from destruction through their own sustainable actions. Missions include:
- Turning electrical products off at the plug in Standby Buster
- Finding aluminium cans to recycle in Scrappy Valley. Closing doors, insulating drafts and turning down the thermostat in Thermodozers.
- Hanging your washing on the line instead of using a tumble dryer in Tumbler.
- And reusing and recycling in the finale. Extra points are earnt in each game by using the skills learnt in the previous missions.
The games were released over a four month period allowing each player the chance to complete the challenges and then take the message back into the physical world.
How to view the work
Click to play game here
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Notable results
In six months, Generation Green inspired over 8000 schools to sign up – that’s over 3 million children in the catchment group. In addition British Gas has provided over 303,000 hours of leaning in the UK alone.