Unilever
Using digital education to unlock real-world action with Dirt Is Good
If there’s one thing you should know about Creature & Co., it’s that we’re all about making it feel fun and easy for kids and families to care for our planet – and everything on it.
So, when the team at Unilever’s Dirt Is Good Project came to us with a mission to create a digital education programme that would get kids excited about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, our response was simple: yes. Yes. YES. When can we start?
Empowering kids (and giving them something fun to do)
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (or SDGs, for short) cover everything from ending poverty to tackling climate change. Big stuff. Important stuff. But also? A bit overwhelming – especially if you’re under 12.
That’s where we came in. Working closely with Dirt Is Good, we helped shape a programme that would break down these global challenges into something kids could actually do something about.
The goal: empower kids to feel like changemakers, with the tools, confidence and curiosity to make a difference – while still having fun.
Playful, practical and planet-positive
The result? The Dirt Is Good Academy – an exciting digital learning hub designed for kids aged 12 and under. We built the platform to be globally accessible, educational and above all, engaging. Content is delivered in a range of formats, and laddered to allow kids to move through a steadily-paced ‘journey’ of learning, breaking it down into bitesized, easy-to-digest sections.
Step 1: Meet your Changemaker self
Step 2: Enter the Mission Log
Step 3: Watch, learn and act
Every ‘mission’ includes a mix of:
• Short, punchy intro videos
• “Fast facts” listicles with fun visuals
• Offline challenges like starting a food compost or buying pre-loved rather than new
All tracked in their own tickable checklist, so they can take action in their own time. Gamified elements like custom avatars, bright visuals and a safe, feel-good tone throughout present these big, scary world topics as exciting challenges that everyone can make a difference on.
Driving measurable change
8,000
users
17%
uplifts in kids’ awareness & knowledge levels and feelings of empowerment
13%
increase in kids’ propensity to act
1,000+
changemakers made!
The impact
From the start, we knew this programme needed to go beyond just awareness – it had to actually spark real action. To track this, we built in:
• Before-and-after emoji ratings to capture kids’ feelings and confidence
• Mission completion data to show how many challenges they were ticking off
The Academy soft-launched in the UK in early 2021 and – within just four weeks – beat its registration targets, with over 700 sign-ups. Better yet, it proved that kids can engage with tough global topics when they’re served up in the right way: empowering, practical and just the right amount of silly. Following its success in the UK, we were thrilled to adapt the platform for the Thai market, bringing Changemaker energy to a whole new audience.
Interested in an Academy-style platform for your brand? We’re able to tailor the platform to different causes, topics and goals.
Hear from our client
Nothing beats working with brilliant people on work that matters (and getting lovely feedback too!)...
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Ready to partner?
Let’s start with a chat. Big idea, small problem or “we’re not quite sure yet” – it all starts the same way. A conversation. If it feels like we’re a good fit, brilliant. If not, you’ll still leave with a few good ideas and no awkward sales follow-ups.
