The Dirt Is Good Academy: Thailand
Educating children on environmental and social issues not only helps to create a more informed and engaged generation, but also fosters a sense of responsibility and care for the planet and its people. That’s why we created The Dirt Is Good Academy, an educational programme for Unilever’s Dirt Is Good (DIG) brand. The gamified platform aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and aims to create real, positive change among its target audience of children aged 12 and under. After a successful launch in the UK, we were asked to adapt the platform for the Thai market to inspire behaviour change in a whole new audience.
Content Creation
Adaptation, localisation and translation are complex, nuanced and rewarding processes, so our team worked with local experts, such as translators and cultural consultants, to adapt The Dirt Is Good Academy for the Thai market. As part of this process, we had to pay real attention to the content’s text and visuals; replacing imagery to make it more culturally appropriate, being mindful of humour and idioms, and taking care with different aspects of the type to ensure the content was correct. For example, a line-break in the incorrect place in the Siamese language can dramatically change the meaning of a sentence. Our team meticulously tested and iterated the content to ensure an authentic translation.
Brought to life with engaging visuals, gamification and customisable avatars, The Dirt Is Good Academy guides the user through a series of missions, highlighting how they, themselves, can be part of the solution. There are lots of different moving parts in The Dirt Is Good Academy that required adapting, from snappy intro videos to start the learning journey for each topic; listicles of ten ‘fast facts’ and digital games accompanied by engaging imagery; offline, hands-on tasks such as ‘Start a Food Compost’ – where users are encouraged to take action against food waste and the consequences of intensive farming and much more.
Brand Impact
The Dirt Is Good Academy acts as a safe space for like-minded compassionate young people, designed to lift and empower them to take action for good. By adapting, translating and localising the content, we created a programme that is both culturally relevant and appropriate for the target audience, that we hope will inspire behaviour change in children in Thailand. We are excited to see the impact The Dirt Is Good Academy has in Thailand once it has officially been launched!
