Academic Project – Advergaming & UX Strategy (2024)
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As a fashion retailer, Benetton seeks to stand out by introducing a playful, education-focused app aimed at engaging parents and children while expanding its market share. The goal is to move beyond traditional products and communicate in a different way—leveraging play to strengthen its brand image and build a deeper connection with its customers.
Children aged 2–10, and parents with young children.
Concept research, strategy, design, and UX/UI mockups
Even after falling a thousand times, children always end up learning how to walk. Our solution is built upon three instinctive actions: exploring, understanding, and learning. These principles come to life through a playful and educational experience featuring an app and a physical "box," connecting Benetton, parents, children, and their environment while championing ecological values.
In 1971, Franco Giacometti and Giulio Cittato created the "Polypetto" logo (Venetian dialect), which has since become the iconic symbol of the Benetton Group alongside the slogan "United Colors of Benetton." While it may evoke an octopus in a child’s imagination, the name literally means "tough little octopus" in Italian. Its design has been reimagined to give it an irresistible charm for both children and parents!
To join Polypetto on his adventures, a cast of characters at once adorable and slightly spooky was created to weave a captivating and cohesive narrative.
The application combines family activities, pedagogy, and virtual interaction. In this adventure, Polypetto has lost all his colors and is counting on children and their parents to help him find them again.
Storyboarding and game sequencing were crucial to ensuring a fluid and captivating experience. The goal was to avoid repetitiveness by offering varied and stimulating stages throughout the journey.
A box accompanies the app, containing six mini-boxes, each given as a reward at the end of a chapter. Each mini-box contains: a mini plush toy, a recycled fabric item, an educational infographic, and a piece of jewelry (bracelet or pendant). This box creates a link between the physical and digital worlds, allowing children to better absorb information through a sensory approach.
A press relations campaign targeted at children's and family magazines, such as J'aime Lire, Astrapi, Pomme d'Api, and Magazine Parents, in order to directly reach parents and children through publications adapted to their world.
A digital campaign focused on targeted newsletters and display ads, with a particular emphasis on YouTube and videos specifically designed to captivate children and engage parents through the character of Polypetto