International ocean advocacy organization Oceana in partnership with Future Games of London (FGOL), the Ubisoft studio responsible for creating the Hungry Shark Evolution mobile game, kicked off a new initiative on Giving Tuesday, 29 November, to raise funds and recruit advocates for Oceana's conservation work.
Users who play Hungry Shark Evolution on their phone can purchase an expansion pack for the game, called "Oceana Shark Baby," which allows them to access a companion character that enhances gameplay and garners higher scores. The funds collected from the expansion pack are donated to Oceana. Consumers can buy the pack through 1 March, 2017.
"At FGOL we're proud to have been raising money for Oceana in Hungry Shark Evolution since the summer. All proceeds from our five dollar Oceana Baby Shark and currency offer will be donated to Oceana to support ocean conservation and help our sharky friends," said Ian Harper, managing director of FGOL. "We are hoping the generosity of the public will bring us one step closer to our donation target."
"More and more, we're seeing people shift away from desktop and toward mobile devices, so our partnership with FGOL is a fantastic way to get our mission and message in front of this audience," added Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president of strategic marketing and communications for Oceana. "Innovative relationships like this will enable Oceana to continue raising money and tapping into the grassroots support we need to keep winning victories for the oceans."
Oceana and FGOL have been partners since July 2016, and the conservation organization has been highlighted in Hungry Shark Evolution through ads detailing Oceana's work to protect sea turtles from shrimp trawls in the Gulf of Mexico and the organization's effort to ban the trade and sale of shark fins in the U.S. So far, the partnership has generated USD 50,000 (EUR 47,148) in charitable contributions; it has also helped to collect more than 200,000 petition signatures in support of the Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act.
