WWF spreads animal aid message through mobile application in China

Charities are becoming increasingly aware that targeting the world’s youth is the way to spread a message and encourage action in the future, but reaching that demographic isn’t simply a case of running an advertising campaign anymore.

Communications director of China’s branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Jing Hui, said: “WWF has always seen young people to be important activists and enthusiasts. At the same time, we notice they have their own preferences for media and information sources. They tend to turn away from traditional media like TV, newspapers and magazines, but embrace websites, blogs and mobile internet.”

The WWF is attempting to reach out to China’s mobile and web savvy youngsters through a new, technologically advanced mobile application. The game is an augmented reality application that superimposes a 3D generated baby bear character onto the real world, which is captured through the handset’s camera.

The software analyses the camera image and tracks the floor, walls and objects so the computer generated character can interact with them. The bear, however, remains perpetually unhappy as it’s not in its natural environment - an issue the game is intended to drive home to the next generation of Chinese animal welfare activists.