South Africa has one of the lowest savings rates in the world.

As one of Africa's largest financial institutions, Sanlam needed to inspire a new generation of savers by demonstrating just how magical saving can be.

We created the Sanlam Savings JAR app, a virtual savings tracker that allows kids to save for a goal and grow their own AR dragon at the same time. Their dragon grew every time they grew their savings, matching their progress. At each stage, the dragon performed unique animations and was interactive for the child. Only once the child had reached their savings goal, was the fully grown grand dragon revealed. From the app, parents could open an investment account for their kids to continue to watch their savings grow.

Insight: For a child, reaching a savings goal can feel like a long way away, but if each step along that journey is rewarded, they are more likely to continue.

When you teach your kids the value of saving at a young age, you set them up for a life of financial confidence. A type of confidence that opens doors to possibilities, future success and the financial freedom to go after their dreams. That’s the power of saving.

Audience: South African children and parents with access to smartphones. This extended beyond existing customers and those in the emerging middle market.

An associated organisational audience included Takalani Sesame as a branded partnership.

The app was custom built for both android and iOS devices and featured the AR capabilities of the mobile device. The campaign ran for 6 months from June 2021 - December 2021.

The AR dragon was designed and rendered with various animations and sound effects that brought it to life for the children.

The app was promoted across social media as well as in traditional PR channels, reaching millions of South Africans.

User journey:

- Download the app

- Create a kids’ profile

- Choose a saving quest

- Save silver coins

- See your dragon grow

- Get savings tips along the way

Impressions: 52 227 740

Downloads: 31 535 vs 20,000 KPI