2019 Winners & Shortlists

Background.

With environmental issues such as invasive species, over-fishing, poor health and climate change on the rise, there is an increasing necessity to protect the natural environment for the current and future generations. To remind the UAE youth of the role that they play in protecting and preserving the natural world, Emirates Nature-WWF launched ‘Connect With Nature’ – a fun and interactive voyage created to provide learning opportunities while inspiring UAE youth to reconnect to nature and rekindle a sense of adventure within them. We were asked to create an immersive experience that is a reflection of this journey, while also ensuring the activation would: - Directly appeal to the target audience - Assist youth in adopting an appreciation for nature - Relay key messages on sustainability - Teach biodiversity in a captivating manner - Urge youth to escape to nature - Fall within the pre-defined budget of USD 52,000

Describe the creative idea.

We capitalized on one aspect of the program that served as a medium to meet all objectives– the survival skills workshop. The participants were put in a realistic situation where they find they might get caught in an impending storm. In case they are unable to leave the Wadi in time, they need to ensure they have access to shelter, clean drinking water and food resources- all, before darkness sets. A journal left behind by previous researchers served as a guiding-manual while participants tackled the room. The story was elaborately crafted to ensure each of the survival challenges had a key message and related back to the essentiality of biodiversity. The challenges took the participants on a journey as they identified shelter under a tree, created a bio-filter from resources available in the Wadi, sustainably spearfished and preserved the catch– each prop customized to blend with the Wadi theme.

Describe the strategy.

With our target audience being youth, we knew we had to give them the unexpected. So, they found themselves transported from a standard event to a simulated Wadi (Arabic word for a valley, a key habitat of the UAE) that caught them by sheer surprise. The growing popularity of escape rooms was used to our advantage and an inclusive experience was created to give them a taste of the outdoors. We enticed the youth to get closer to nature by bringing a glimpse of nature to them. To make the experience an educational one, we focused on the concept of ‘learning through experience’. As the participants made their way through the challenges, the hands-on interaction gave them the ability to retain information for future use.

Describe the execution.

A box that gave away nothing on the outside was actually a simulated Wadi, confined within 4.8x4.8meters. The room was constructed to be modular with the use of reusable and eco-friendly materials and was setup at two different events. An immersive experience was created by mimicking naturally occurring Wadis as closely as possible. Several trips were made to UAE’s Wadis to expand our visual library in an effort to savor the aesthetic of the natural habitats. Specific sand and rocks were sourced and strategically scattered to match reality. Each design element reflected a purpose – a stream, complemented by breathing moss was constructed with fiberglass to hold artificial fish that served as ‘food’ for the participants. Vegetation seen in natural Wadis were sourced, pale brown bushes lined the room while the greener foliage placed near the water source. A matte painting depicting the rocky terrain completed the room.

List the results.

- The escape room had teams lined up back-to-back and was at maximum capacity from start to finish, accommodating over 500 participants in 37 hours (10minutes/team). - 86.73% of participants reported that the experience made them want to be more environmentally friendly, a positive indicator for long-term behavioral change - 80.67% reported an increase interest in the outdoors, a positive reflection of EN-WWF’s bid to ‘Connect With Nature’. - As a result of an open-ended answer, 50% of the participants reported the most valuable lesson to be ‘picking up litter’ and ‘leaving the Wadi clean’. - 77% of participants said their survival knowledge increased by 61-100% post the Wadi Escape Room - 83.67% participants rated the experience as ‘Exceptional’ and 16.33% rated it ‘Good’ with a 0% negative response These results are based on responses from the participants in a survey conducted post-experience.