Plast Blast
- Year
- 2013
- Objective
- Awareness
- Industry
- Other
- Mechanic
- Arcade & Action
- Platform
- App
- Agency
- Themis Hub
Objective
Pro.mo, the Italian trade group for disposable plastic tableware manufacturers, needed to counter the growing perception that plastic equals waste and redirect the conversation toward proper recycling. To reach younger consumers who tune out standard industry messaging, and to lend the effort independent credibility, it partnered with consumer-rights group Adiconsum on a game rather than a brochure.
Solution
Plast Blast is a free 60-second iPhone/iPad game where the player flicks plastic plates and cups into a recycling bin with a swipe of the finger. Each throw behaves like a real toss — air currents nudge the trajectory, so the player has to adjust their aim shot to shot. Landing a plate in the bin doesn't just score points: a 12-gram plate converts into 19 minutes of a 100-watt bulb's worth of energy, and that light visibly accumulates as the round goes on. When the 60 seconds run out, the player can post the result to Facebook, showing how many plates they recycled and how much energy they banked.
- 1
Players find the game through the Pro.mo trade group's promo site and download Plast Blast free from the App Store.
- 2
An intro screen sets up the premise: disposable plastic plates and cups sorted into recycling become a new item or energy, with one recycled plate's 12 grams equal to 19 minutes of a 100-watt bulb.
- 3
In a 60-second round, the player swipes to throw plates and cups from a stack into a recycling bin, with the swipe's force and direction setting each throw's trajectory; wind pushes the dishware off course, so misses land outside the bin.
- 4
Each dish that lands in the bin lights a virtual bulb and adds to a running tally of saved energy for the round.
- 5
When the timer runs out, the round ends with a summary of how many dishes were recycled and how much energy was saved.
- 6
Players can post their result to Facebook, sharing their total dishes recycled and energy saved.
- 7
A closing screen shows what properly recycled disposable dishware becomes: household items, fabrics, packaging, building materials, eyeglass frames, or energy.
