Summary
Fewer than 200 Arabian leopards exist in the wild. The Royal Commission for AlUla wanted to engage people around the world in their conservation through a playable experience.
I developed Quest for Hope, a decentralized conservation campaign on Roblox and Decentraland. It launched on the first UN International Day of the Arabian Leopard (10 February 2024). Players explore digital recreations of AlUla's mountains, Old Town, and Hegra, where 18 leopard twins each represent a real animal being reintroduced into AlUla's wilderness. They photograph and collect the leopards and learn about biodiversity loss through reward-based activities in Valley Rush, Old Town Maze, and Cosmic Crossing. Rare leopard collectibles are in-game rewards and symbolic adoption links to the conservation programme run by RCU, Panthera, Catmosphere, and the Arabian Leopard Fund. The wider campaign included billboards in New York, London, Paris, and Beijing, a campaign film, and a 7km Community Catwalk Trail in AlUla.
Key outcomes
- 19.1M
- press views
- 18
- digital leopard twins
- 2
- platforms
- 4
- global billboards
What I did
- Developed the campaign's creative concept
- Designed the decentralized conservation mechanic linking digital leopard twins to real-world reintroduction tracking
- Built the gaming experience across both Roblox and Decentraland platforms
- Digitally recreated AlUla landmarks (Hegra, the Old Town, the mountain landscapes) as explorable in-game environments
- Designed play-to-learn game mechanics: Valley Rush, Old Town Maze, Cosmic Crossing, leopard photography quests
- Created the rare leopard collectible / NFT adoption system tying gameplay to the real conservation programme
- Coordinated the campaign to launch on the first UN International Arabian Leopard Day (10 Feb 2024)
Business impact
- 19.1M press coverage views globally
- 20.9K social media views
- 3K Roblox game visits at launch
- Billboard activations across New York, London, Paris and Beijing
- Launched as part of the global "Leap of Hope" campaign alongside a campaign film and 7km Community Catwalk in AlUla
- Featured in Arab News, Fast Company Middle East, and global PR coverage
- Brought AlUla's conservation mission to younger, gaming-native audiences worldwide
Competencies
- Roblox
- Conservation
- Gaming
- NFT
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