Value Your Friends

Objective

Iles de Paix, a Belgian NGO focused on international development aid, needed to communicate the importance of effective and sustainable aid through an engaging experience. The 2012 campaign aimed to shift public perception—showing that poorly structured aid is wasteful and that locally-grounded, sustainable approaches deliver better results. The serious game became the centerpiece of a print advertising campaign that invited players to test their aid allocation decisions across real developing communities.

Solution

Globule Bleu created an interactive web-based serious game where players allocate a virtual budget across five countries receiving aid. Each player's budget was calculated by counting their Facebook friends and multiplying by 127 (Belgium's average annual charitable donation). As players spent their virtual money on schools, livestock, wells, and other interventions, they discover which aid types waste money and which create lasting impact. A viral element was woven in: when a player purchased livestock or other items, their Facebook friends received messages like 'Maurice just bought a breeding bull in Mali', creating organic sharing. The game featured custom-designed virtual items, refined aesthetics, and strategic motion design that enhanced both the experience and the learning. Technology stack: web application with Facebook integration, motion design and transitions, SEO optimization.

Results

The campaign achieved significant earned media coverage across Belgian television, radio, and print outlets, and the game won both the FWA Site of the Day award and a Dope Award.