Last month, The Sims 4 launched Eco Lifestyle: an expansion pack that focuses on sustainability and conservation within the game. Sims are graded on their eco-footprint, including household and consumption habits, the expansion allows players to opt for more sustainable choices – installing solar panels, for example. For each eco-friendly decision a player makes, they earn influence points in order to vote on initiatives (known as Neighbourhood Action Plans) to reduce the community's environmental impact. If players don’t make steps towards more sustainable behavior, they must face the consequences!
Amid the debate about how the pandemic could be the reset the world needs, here’s some food for thought: 45% of consumers across 15 countries say they are making more sustainable choices, and will continue to do so in the future, while 64% said they were focusing more on limiting food waste and would be likely to do so in the future as well. Will that behavior drop off as people return to normal life? Probably. After all, we’re much better at making good intentions than setting them.
But that doesn’t have to be the case, especially when it comes to an issue that’s as urgent as sustainability. Helping consumers understand the impact of their (in)action could be the key to creating a better world for everyone – but only if the information is delivered in the right way. The Sims creators opted to show players how their actions can impact the local environment, for better or for worse. In Poland, IKEA created a concept store that allowed visitors to experience the ‘home of tomorrow’, complete with an indoor farm. Earth Speakr, Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson’s new AR project, allows kids to transform into plant life, plastic bags and other inanimate objects as they share their thoughts about the environment.
How can you use immersive experiences – both digital and physical – to engage consumers with your brand’s purpose and values? Could those experiences build empathy and awareness that empowers them to be a changemaker in their own lives?
Stay healthy,
The TrendWatching content team
