2020 Brand Experience & Activation

SPACEBUZZ: VR EDUCATION PROGRAMME FOR CHILDREN CREATING EARTH’S AMBASSADORS

TitleSPACEBUZZ: VR EDUCATION PROGRAMME FOR CHILDREN CREATING EARTH’S AMBASSADORS
BrandSPACEBUZZ
Product/ServiceSPACEBUZZ: EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMME
Category A07. Not-for-profit / Charity / Government
Entrant MEDIAMONKS Hilversum, THE NETHERLANDS
Idea Creation MEDIAMONKS Hilversum, THE NETHERLANDS
Idea Creation 2 SPACEBUZZ Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production SPACEBUZZ Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Additional Company UNBRANDED Hilversum, THE NETHERLANDS
Additional Company 2 THE OTHERS Amersfoort, THE NETHERLANDS
Additional Company 3 MAAK Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Credits
Name Company Position
André Kuipers SpaceBuzz Astronaut

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

The mission of the Overview Effect Foundation is to inspire the next generation to care for our planet by turning kids into ambassadors of planet Earth. SpaceBuzz is their revolutionary experiential educational programme revolving around a 4D VR activation that launches children into orbit to see Earth from a different perspective. SpaceBuzz literally lets children experience the Overview Effect, leaving a lasting effect through a concept that combines education and experience.

Background

After seeing Earth from space, astronauts consistently report a shift in the way they see our planet and how important it is that we take care of it. This profound change is known as the Overview Effect, and it’s something so powerful that Dutch astronaut André Kuipers wanted all children in the world to experience it. With SpaceBuzz, he wants to give children the opportunity to experience the Overview Effect firsthand and inspire them to become champions of our planet.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Only a number of people have experienced the magical Overview Effect. Astronauts have reported how small and fragile our planet looks from space. This experience has given astronauts a cognitive shift in awareness, realising that only we can take care of our planet. We wanted to share this experience with children to raise awareness on how important it is to take of our planet and the environment. Our aim is to create young ambassadors of earth. To scale the ‘Overview Effect’ in an equally impressive manner, we created SpaceBuzz: one of the most innovative education concepts to have ever been produced. Commanded by European astronaut André Kuipers, the programme revolves around a preparatory crew training with a 15-minute VR experience that launches a classroom into orbit for a trip around the Earth. The spaceflight happens inside a 15-metre long spacecraft, complete with 4D moving seats, synchronized with the VR experience.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

The foundation for the VR spaceflight is laid by an integrated education program that teaches children around the age of 11 how to look at Earth before they go to space. From research, we knew that our story had to be positive and inspiring. The tone of voice is really about the beauty and wonder of the planet, noting the fragility but letting the kids draw their own conclusions. By letting kids experience the Overview Effect with their own eyes through VR, we were able to change how they view Earth in a fundamental way.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

Spacebuzz is a non-profit fully educational programme that visits schools around the globe for free to educate our next generation about planet earth and the environment. Together with the 4D experience, children are given pre-flight lessons that will educate them about planet earth. The children will then board the spacecraft, experiencing the installation as one giant user journey. André is the on-board presenter and pilot of the VR spaceflight, inspiring kids with a script that matches his amicable tone and personality. The giant custom-made rocket has moving seats and lifts off to take students to space to experience the famous and magical overview effect.

List the results (30% of vote)

Thanks to the Overview Effect Foundation, over thousands of children around the globe were able to experience the Overview Effect for themselves. Despite incredible results and being fully booked until 2021, rolling out to four more countries very soon, we are very proud to say that this experience has changed the way that many children look at our earth for the rest of their lives. We indeed have created new ambassadors of planet earth.