Prudential: Escape Room

Objective

Prudential sought to address young adults' reluctance to engage in long-term financial planning by transforming an abstract concern into an entertaining, tangible experience. Debuted at Fast Company's Innovation Festival in NYC, the escape room positioned financial literacy as urgent and immediately relevant to the target audience.

Solution

A 1,000+ square-foot interactive escape room installation designed as a parent's basement—a subtle threat of financial mismanagement. Participants navigated gamified challenges covering loans, retirement plans, employee benefits, and caregiving responsibilities. A standout DDR-style dance mat segment required participants to 'dance' through financial concepts. The entire experience was built in under 21 hours, housed at Grand Central Terminal, and engaged young people in active problem-solving rather than passive content consumption.

Results

Over 200 participants walked through gamified financial riddles and solved 1,300 challenges. The project won 1 FWA (Favorite Website Awards) recognition.