Every Penny Counts!

ICE’s interactive charity penguin gets communities talking

The aptly named marketing and communications company, ICE, have created a unique interactive 5ft tall penguin, using cutting edge digital technology to enable people to have their say on the big issues facing their local communities.

Penny the Penguin is a user-friendly, festive art installation, integrating creative art and human interaction with visual and online technology, and is part of Go Penguins, a Merseyside-wide cultural art initiative.

Driven by a passion for engaging with communities, ICE’s graphic design and digital media specialists created Penny the Penguin with the ability to record short video comments from people about their local area and the issues that are close to their heart.

All of the footage captured will also be fed back to a supporting website: www.penny4athought.com, where they can be viewed back online.

It’s also hoped the videos will also be potential useful insight for ICE’s social marketing projects.

Penny the Penguin will join 145 five foot tall penguins in a “Winter’s Trail” around Merseyside’s cultural highlights, marking Liverpool’s Year of the Environment.

She’ll also raise money for Liverpool Unites, a Merseyside-based charity which helps community groups to positively engage children and young people by inspiring them to break the cycle of crime and poverty.

Stuart Jackson, Chief Executive of ICE says, “At ICE, as specialists in social marketing, we strongly emphasise creative thinking and digital expertise to drive forward community engagement and consultation - listening to people, in order to understand their needs and bring about real and lasting change.

“We’re passionate about using digital media innovatively to create dialogue with communities, rather than just passive one-way communication, and that’s exactly what our interactive penguin will do! Penny is an easy and fun way of encouraging people of all ages – and from all sections of the community - to think about the important issues affecting them and the areas where they live.”

Eryl Parry, Director of Enterprise at Liverpool Cathedral says, “We are delighted to give Penny the Penguin a home for Christmas and we hope lots of people will come to meet her here! Last year over the same period of time we welcomed over 63,000 people through our doors.

“There’s a very special atmosphere amongst the excitement and activity and ‘Go Penguins’ combines all those features – all the fun and celebrations of Christmas whilst provoking thought, creativity and inspiration in this great space.”

People can visit Penny the Penguin at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral until Sunday 10 January 2010.