This idea won multiple awards, including Gold in Ojo de Iberoamérica, Gold in Adweek Project Isaac, Gold in Diente. Also was shortlisted in Clio and Cannes and was named "One of the most cleverly designed objects of 2015" according to Wired.
Getting kids to eat healthier can be a real challenge, either because they lack motivation, are easily distracted or turn their nose up at certain flavors. There are a few tricks parents have up their sleeve for getting their children to eat what’s on their plate. It turns out that bribery is one of the most effective tools. Currently, out of all the bribes a child might respond to, 15 minutes on the iPad ranks pretty high (there’s nothing like dangling a shiny, amazing carrot in order to get kids to eat an actual carrot). Talking about Popeye and the benefits of spinach or about eating carrots to improve their vision no longer convinces this generation. We had to find a solution to the problem of kids not eating healthier.
Yumit, an interactive children’s food plate that motivates kids to eat healthy by converting what they eat into virtual energy that can be used for upgrades and extras on mobile games. The healthier the kids eat, the more virtual energy their favorite game character will have. How? The plate rests on a scale that measures each bite in real time. As children eat, the info is sent to the Yumit servers. In that way, when the child finishes eating, he can enjoy his games and learn about the benefits of eating healthy. Yumit also has a mobile app for parents, which registers and analyzes children’s eating behavior. If something is missing from the food’s pyramid, it’s suggested through the games. Picture the final stage of a game level and your character saying something like: “Looks like I have run out of energy to move forward, try eating some vegetables on Yumit".
We developed one hardware product and two software applications. The Yumit plate is operated by an electronic board wired to a weight sensor placed on its support base. It also has a strip of multi-colored LEDs ring that works as a visual indicator and a Bluetooth module that connects the hardware with the mobile app. The mobile app is developed on Android, it uses a Bluetooth library to connect and receive information from the plate and keep the data stored in the cloud using a custom REST API. The API is open to all developers who wish to integrate their games to Yumit. The first game that’s compatible with Yumit has been developed in addition to the Unity game engine. It uses the API to convert nutritional values into virtual energy. If the child doesn’t fulfill his/her diet, the character won’t have enough strength/power in the game to complete the level.
CREDITS
José Azanza Arias Wunderman Buenos Aires Executive Creative Director
Dany Minaker Wunderman Buenos Aires Executive Creative Director
Sebastián Tarazaga Wunderman Buenos Aires Executive Creative Director
Darío Ventura Wunderman Buenos Aires Creative Director
Rodrigo Gorosterrazú Wunderman Buenos Aires Creative Technologist
Matías Lobos León Wunderman Buenos Aires Art Director
Darío Ventura Wunderman Buenos Aires Copywriter
Santiago Salvarani Wunderman Buenos Aires Industrial Design
Sabrina Pintos Wunderman Buenos Aires Visual Designer
Gabriel Martín Wunderman Buenos Aires User Experience Web
Lucas Zubeldía Wunderman Buenos Aires Web Design
Pablo Aranguren Wunderman Buenos Aires Game Animation
Fernando Rossini Wunderman Buenos Aires Mobile App Design
Francisco Facal Wunderman Buenos Aires Head of Software
Pablo Mendoza Wunderman Buenos Aires Web Development
Juan Manuel Guerrero Wunderman Buenos Aires Web Development
Javier Corra Wunderman Buenos Aires Game Design & Development
Darío Zapata Wunderman Buenos Aires Mobile App Development
Germán Depina Wunderman Buenos Aires Mobile App Development
Pablo Codeiro Wunderman Buenos Aires Mobile App Development
Sean McAlister Wunderman Buenos Aires English Copywriting
Ernest Riba Wunderman Buenos Aires Growth Strategy
María Quinzio Wunderman Buenos Aires Strategy Director
Gabriela Trabanco Wunderman Buenos Aires Planner
Daniela Tucci Young & Rubicam PR & Communications
Italians Italians Music & Sound FX
Gloria Films Gloria Films Audiovisual production company
Federico Gianotti Gloria Films Director
Fabián Zayat Gloria Films Executive Producer
Sebastián García Suárez Gloria Films Producer
Bill Nieto Gloria Films Director of Photography
María Gutierrez Gloria Films Art Director
Mauro Carpinacci Gloria Films Editor
Martín Suárez Gloria Films Post production
Santiago Bermudez Wolox Manufacture Design Consultant
Luciana Reznik Wolox Suppliers and Materials Consultant
Laura Martínez Wunderman Buenos Aires Agency Producer