US – Birdwatching is known as a somewhat sedate activity – but not with BirdBuddy, a tech-powered hummingbird feeder that gamifies spotting and looking after our feathered friends.
Now crowdfunding on Kickstarter, the BirdBuddy Smart Bird Feeder is a tech-elevated answer to birdwatching as we know it. Thanks to a hidden camera module, the bird feeder identifies avian visitors, sends a notification to the user’s connected app and snaps photos. The close-up pictures are used to identify the birds via AI-powered facial recognition, and all shots feed into databases both for private use and for scientific purposes.
But the most striking feature of the smart bird feeder might be its gamified and humorous messaging, typified by its goofy video campaign, rebranding the often mocked pastime of birdwatching as a fun-filled chase à la Pokémon Go, having users ‘collect’ species and snaps of rare birds. With consumers expressing interest in reconnecting with nature, we expect the Nature-Hacking Market to continue innovating with solutions like the BirdBuddy.
Strategic opportunity
Cringeworthy and goofy campaigns make younger audiences tick. Infusing conventionally serious messaging with irreverence and the grotesque is one way to capture consumers’ shortening attention spans and make a long-lasting impression