One Million Conversations for R U OK? Day

R U OK? Day Everyday

As a suicide prevention charity, R U OK? wants to extend the reach of their message from one day a year to everyday. Their goal is to motivate meaningful engagements between loved ones and neighbours 365 days a year. Fusion developed ‘Quentin’, an interactive Question Mark character packed with technology, to help spark a million conversations around Australia. “With millions of Australians already supporting R U OK? Day, we’re excited to challenge them to do more to stay connected and have regular, meaningful conversations,” Campaign Director Rebecca Lewis.

Deliverables

Strategy / Branding / User Experience / Website / Web App / Consoles / SEM/SEO / Marketing

A question mark with a mission

Quentin commenced his journey on R U OK? Day 8th September and is now travelling the country. Much like the Olympic torch, Quentin’s voyage relies on him being passed from person to person, community to community. However, unlike the Olympic Torch, Quentin’s route is not planned. His journey is determined by the challenge he gives to each new keeper.

Powering conversations

The creative motivation that drove Fusion to design Quentin was the need to get people to reconnect by simply starting a conversation. A small computer called Arduino is at the heart of the fully connected device, while his body was 3D-modelled and computer-machined with translucent skin to display low power LED lights. This allows him to glow, animate and communicate. Fusion further utilised an array of sensors, including motion and GPS, which enables Quentin to respond to touch and display messages when interacted with.

Bringing people together

As his journey progresses, Quentin’s technology helps him to issue simple, fun challenges designed to encourage each new keeper to reconnect and stay in touch with people in their lives. Users are able to interact with Quentin through SMS or by shaking him to receive a R U OK? challenge. A challenge could be to have a cup of tea with a neighbour or to give friend a hug. Once completed the keeper hands Quentin over to that conversation friend. Quentin can further publish his activity on the R U OK? website, including kilometres travelled, challenges issued and number of keepers.

A million conversations

R U OK? and Fusion’s combined aim for the campaign was to spark a million conversations, encouraging the perception that starting conversations is something we should do every day – not just on R U OK? Day. The tracking of Quentin’s activity demonstrates continuous progress towards these goals with over hundreds of thousands of conversations recorded, hundreds of challenges completed and thousands kms travelled.