In the build up to World Women’s Day, Johnson & Johnson and The Pearson Foundation activated their partnerships with The Fistula Foundation and Room To Read by bringing game play to real world action.
Both brands made $250,000 commitments to the two NGOs to support the Facebook game ‘Half the Sky Movement: The Game’
Johnson & Johnson and Pearson Foundation join other brand partners including Ford, Intel, the Rockerfella Foundation and Zynga (plus the UN and National Endowment for the Arts) to support the eight NGO’s featured within this landmark Facebook game.
These corporate foundation partners are using Games For Change on social networks to promote awareness around issues facing women and girls globally and also to create a platform for players that enables real world change.
In the global maternal health arena, players will unlock $250,000 in fistula treatment provided by Johnson & Johnson, continuing a decade of corporate support for The Fistula Foundation and their work to heal women with obstetric fistula in Asia and Africa.
Johnson & Johnson has partnered with The Fistula Foundation on fistula prevention and treatment initiatives since 2004 through events, grants and donations.
While, to support Room to Read’s focus on literacy and gender equality in education in Asia and Africa (plus the overall importance of quality education globally), the Pearson Foundation is sponsoring player actions in the game and boosting Room to Read’s fundraising efforts for the Half the Sky Movement: The Game.
Players will have the opportunity to unlock up to $250,000 for Room to Read from the Pearson Foundation’s WeGiveBooks.org.
With 100% of the $500,000 being unlocked by players going directly to these two organizations, the ‘Half the Sky Movement: The Game’ looks set to effect real change at launch.
The public can simply begin their journey by ‘liking’ the game’s fan page on Facebook and then begin playing.
The latest initiative was announced at the Social Good Summit by Games for Change Co-President Asi Burak and Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide co-author Nicholas Kristof.
Games for Change plays the role of executive producer of the Facebook game, along with Maro Chermayeff of Show of Force (the award winning production company producing the PBS broadcast series for Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide).
Launched on 4 March 4 on Facebook, the Half the Sky game takes players through an interactive journey chronicling the lives and plights of girls worldwide.
The experience can be played at apps.facebook.com/halftheskymovement, while the conversation around the initiative can be followed (and participated in) via Twitter using the hashtag Use #HalftheGame.
Comment
Gamification has been a hot topic in recent months as the media seizes on the trend for brining Games and the Internet Of Things into everyday lives.
But the idea of driving real-world action through social media gaming is a refreshing and innovative development in the gamification trend.
Links
Half The Sky Game Trailer YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N6Ahpocmjs0
Half The Sky Movement Facebook Game App
https://apps.facebook.com/halftheskymovement/
Half The Sky Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/HalftheGame
Games For Change Website
http://www.gamesforchange.org/
The Fistula Foundation
http://www.fistulafoundation.org/
Room To Read
International Women’s Day
http://internationalwomensday.org/
