Earlier this month Volkswagen China in collaboration with Tribal DDB Beijing and T+D (Trommsdorff + Druner) created the first eco-driving app in China.
The task was to raise awareness about vehicle pollution in China and let drivers know how they can reduce their carbon footprint. The outcome needed to be measureable and so the idea of creating a mobile app was born.
The biggest hurdle however had not yet been tackled. While Chinese people view the environment as an important issue, it ranks number ten after such basics as housing and medical care according to a survey conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 2011.
China is growing fast and people want to secure their financial futures. The Chinese may not be interested in saving the planet, but they sure are motivated to save some money.
Based on this information, a mobile app that is fun to use, saves the user money and plays its part in reducing carbon emissions was created.
The ‘Blue Mobility’ app is the first in-car mobile app in China to track driving behavior in real-time. It analyzes your behavior, gives you tips on how to change and shows you how much you save on fuel.
Scores are generated and can be shared on social networks where you can challenge friends to see who saves more.
To increase the fun factor, an adorable, approachable polar bear symbol was adopted to lighten the tone of the subject matter and attract drivers to download the app.
Originally the goal was to achieve 133,000 downloads. The actual number of downloads was 1.1 million, eight times more than expected, with users driving over 1.8 million kilometers using the app. As a result, 5% less fuel was used and over 220,000 comments and shares occurred through social networks. The Blue Mobility app was awarded Mobile of the Day (MOTD) by the FWA, an industry recognized award program showcasing projects that use cutting edge technology, together with inspirational ideas, that lead the way for future generations.
Video about the app below, or follow the link
Agency Credit: Tribal DDB Beijing and T+D (Trommsdorff + Druner)
