i am goldfish for Moleskine
i am goldfish is the campaign that I developed for my final year project at university. This project was done in a span of one year which included extensive research on the topic, advertising channels and creative experimentation to lead to what it is today.
In Hong Kong, 3 out of 100 people suffers from varying degrees of depression and young adults are the most vulnerable age group due to the rising tensions of societal pressure and academic competition. This has given rise to a phenomenon in Hong Kong relating to student suicides. Solutions towards overcoming depression in Hong Kong is still medical focused and does not provide any other alternatives in coping with this issue.
Someone once told me that a goldfish has a memory span of a few seconds but have the ability to retain the emotions for much longer. For example, if a goldfish is feeling depressed, they are more likely to die from their sadness compared to a happier fish.
“I am goldfish” tells the story of how a goldfish is similar to a person who is suffering from depression. A depressed person is more likely to forget about happiness and is incline to dwell to their depression just like a goldfish would. This idea aims to show and comfort the sufferer that they can change their fate and strive to be better.
Insights
Gratitude writing is one of the alternative solution in combating depression. It is not generally known by sufferer as exercise is one of the most commonly suggested solution. Gratitude writing is used mostly by medical practitioners with their patients to help alleviate their symptoms and have many great benefits towards the sufferer.
Part One: Online Video
The online video is to introduce the campaign and also tell the story of the goldfish. Each of the characters are very different and they all tell the story of how the goldfish has impacted their lives. The tone of the video is similar to a journal entry and also showcasing the relationship each character has with the goldfish.
The flow of the video starts with naive feelings which would eventually grow to frustrations and anger. Eventually, from these growing feelings, the characters realise that a change is needed to get themselves out of their own circumstance and grow beyond being similar to a goldfish.
The aspect ratio of the video is 1x1.
Part two: Limited Edition Moleskine Set
A limited edition Moleskine journal will be produced as part of the campaign and these journals would be different from the ones that have already been done with the brand. These journals are made with monthly and weekly layout with supportive quotes and objective pages to help guide the user. The notebook is also special as it is integrated with an app specifically with the notebook.
This limited edition Moleskine set comes in a box which would include the notebook, affirmation cards that can be used with the journal and also a set of colour pencils to compliment the set. The affirmation cards are used as a mood and positive change for the users before they start their day.
Part three: Mobile App
The mobile app is the digital deliverable that compliments with the notebook. The app is different from all the existing app from Moleskine as it comes with a mood tracker, daily quote which is specifically tailored to the user using algorithm, personalised profile and also an online community of Moleskine users and creators. Each of these quotes varies according to the severity of their depression or mental illness. The mood tracker allows the user to track their moods and see how their own emotion fluctuates during that period of time.
The app aims for users to share the content of their Moleskines’ and create a community of like minded people and get inspiration from each other. It also creates a sense of belongingness and space for people to express themselves freely.
Landing Page
The landing pages serves as an introduction of the app and also the campaign. It also includes the idea and concept of being a goldfish
Sign Up:
After the landing pages, the users are urged to sign up to use the services of the app.
Prompt:
After the user signs up, they would be directed to a survey to understand the level of depression the user might have.
From my research, I found a lot of sufferers are not aware of their condition and by doing this survey it allows the app to give a suitable quote for the user by using algorithm.
Quotes:
After answer all the prompts for the app, the user would be presented with a quote of the day. There is two quotes that would be presented to the user.
One side, the app would show a generic quote of the day that all users would receive. On the other side, the app would also show a personalised quote of the day that is based on level of depression by completing the survey through the app algorithm.
The users area also able to rate of the quote if it was useful or record their daily moods which would further change the personalised quote of the day. For example, if the user has reported to being moody and sad for consecutive days, the app would show more positive quotes in the personalise quote of the day function.
Profile Page:
As one of the common issues that comes with depression is that sufferers feel like their voice has been taken away from them and they are unable to express themselves as freely as before.
One of the positive impact of the Moleskine is that there is already an existing community of creatives, creators and people using their Moleskine as a medium to express themselves and also share their artworks.
The profile page is also used as sharing platform for those using the app to showcase their Moleskine and hopefully get the attention and support that they are missing from real life. It creates a sense of belongingness and also a support system that hopefully helps the sufferers with their recovery.