Execution: Create a bridge over the gap in opportunity through games, experiences, and challenges to parental assumptions.
Art Director: Alex Mayeri
Copywriter: Brooke Stephenson
Stunt
We are empowering girls in gaming by partnering with Xbox at TwitchCon to create controllers with XX buttons, rather than the typical XY buttons. We'll make a statement by placing a giant controller outside, and we are selling a limited run of controllers at our booth inside, where girls can take the first steps to learn about coding.
In-Game activations
To give girls a level playing field, we’re creating opportunities for power ups and advantages in some of their favorite games, including Fortnite, Mario Kart, and Animal Crossing.
Each game will prompt players to complete a simple coding lesson and challenge in order to obtain exclusive Girls Who Code in-game advantages. By offering them a chance to code their way to advantages, we’re giving them incentive and showing them coding pays off.
Fortnite
In Fortnite, players will be asked to help fix a weapon. Once they’ve completed the tutorial and repaired it’s programming, they’ll be given a new battle pass along with weapons and skins for their game. Their map will also add access to the Coding Cove to explore.
MARIO KART
In Mario Kart, players will be asked if they can help fix a program issue in one of the racing karts by finishing some lines of code. They’ll see a brief tutorial on the pattern to look for, and then ‘fix’ the code to reboot the kart. As a reward, they’ll be given access to a new circuit and a fresh set of powerful wheels.
ANIMAL CROSSING
In Animal Crossing, players will be asked by Tom Nook to help fix his laptop. If they can help reprogram it, they receive bells and a new clothing and interior package with exclusive Girls Who Code themes for their island and wardrobe, and special access to the Code Cafe.
Children's Book Series
Girls need representation at an early age to feel like coding can just be another activity for them to try, just like any other interest. By creating story books that incorporate coding skills into adventure, we show girls and parents how coding can fit into their world.
“Adventures in Bunk 44” follows two best friends who end up separated by bunks at sleep away camp. With a curfew and no way to communicate, they take old walkie talkies left behind and reprogram them to keep in touch.
“Cyber Sister for Spot” tells the story of Sarah, who’s worried her dog is lonely while she’s away at school. Using skills from her robotics club, she’s able to solve her problem with a robotic pup that can keep Spot company every day that she’s away.
In the back of the books will be tips and Girls Who Code resources for parents to start their daughter’s coding journey when the time comes.
Experiential
In shopping malls we’ll place an interactive game to give girls a chance to step into coding. With a projected keyboard girls can jump from key to key when prompted by the laptop screen to ‘fill in’ the missing pieces of code in a game.
On screen is a rocket that they want to send flying, and with each line of code completed, it starts to launch. Once they’ve completed each of the lines the rocket shoots sky high across the screen. We’ll include a QR code on floor so that parents can directly enroll their children into Girls Who Code programing.
