The Long Beach Water Department’s big blue mascot is back, with a retro makeover. Conservin’ Mervyn, the friendly water drop who reminds us of the importance of saving our most valuable natural resource, now stars as the hero in his very own video game.
Launched today on the LBWD’s MissionH2OLB website, the 8-bit-inspired platformer takes Mervyn through a series of locations where water is being wasted, starting inside the house. In each level, players learn tips to conserve water in and around the home, while at the same time completing the increasingly difficult—sometimes maddening—levels. Players can share their top scores on social media, and challenge their friends to beat them.
“We are finding creative ways to engage our Long Beach residents in using water efficiently. The launch of our exciting Conservin’ Mervyn video game is an example of how we are trying to reach even our younger customers to appreciate how to use water wisely and not in a wasteful manner,” said Chris Garner, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department. “We want our community to explore the many ways to save water, from our tried and true rebate and lawn conversion programs as well as fun and educational activities like Conservin’ Mervyn.”
The Conservin’ Mervyn game was designed and developed by ETA Agency, a creative services and advertising firm located in downtown Long Beach. Agency ETA is responsible for the LBWD’s MissionH2OLB initiative, a multi-faceted campaign aimed at educating residents on ways to conserve water every day.
In addition to an interactive website where users can calculate their water savings, take a pledge to save water by making small changes to their routine, or play the new Conservin’ Mervyn game, the MissionH2OLB campaign has also involved musicians and artists from the Long Beach community, and outdoor educational pop-up events.
Kyle Hiroto of ETA Agency said that while MissionH2OLB originally served as an emergency response to California’s Stage 2 water crisis, the state is not out of the woods yet. The campaign has pivoted toward looking at more long-term solutions for water conservation.
“The most important part of MissionH2OLB is impressing upon people that water use efficiency is a lifestyle,” said Hiroto. “With the game, we’re trying to reach everyone; kids, millennials, adults and parents all love it.”
Hiroto said the game brought the LBWD mascot back to the public in a “new, fresh way.”
“We want to see him in this new form everywhere, especially in classrooms, where he can teach kids the importance of life-long water conservation while they have fun,” he said.
“We re-imagined Conservin’ Mervyn as an 8-bit video game hero because it strikes home with a lot of people,” said Mike Trowbridge, ETA Agency’s art director. “People my age grew up with games like this, and have a connection to them. It strengthens the message, while being fun and engaging for players of all ages.”
Trowbridge called the process “fun and rewarding,” and noted it was the first time a water agency had done something like creating a full-fledged video game, from sketches to a full-fledged product.
Others associated with the project underscored the game’s goals: creating moments of fun while honing in on conservation through “gamification.” Gamification is the process of using game mechanics to convey a message or idea, or for educational purposes. It’s often used in marketing, especially marketing toward a younger audience.
“Gamification is an incredible way of getting a message across to a wide audience, but if no one wants to play the game, the message is lost,” said Josh Reed, lead programmer of the game. “It was fun bringing Conservin’ Mervyn to life. We learned a lot about efficient water use while making this game, and we worked hard to make it engaging and playable in-browser on various devices so we could pass that message along to the players.”
The Conservin’ Mervyn game is playable via desktop, mobile or tablet. Click here to play or visit the MissionH2OLB website to join the mission and find more easy ways to save water, both indoors and outdoors.
Disclaimer: ETA Agency is the Long Beach Post’s parent company.