Dawn dish soap wants to save marine wildlife, using Minecraft.

To do this, Dawn is partnering with Overwolf, a platform that enables creators to build, distribute, and monetize in-game apps and modifications. Starting Sept. 20 and running through Oct. 17, Minecraft players can post video clips on Twitter of their best wildlife environment made in the Minecraft world using the hashtag #DawnSavesWildlife. For each clip submitted, Dawn will donate $5 to their non-profit partners, International Bird Rescue and The Marine Mammal Center. 

Minecraft might seem like an odd partner for Dawn since it attracts a generally younger audience than those who might be interested in buying dish soap. But the goal of the campaign is to connect with potential new customers in an environment where they are highly engaged. 

“The partnership provided a unique opportunity for us to authentically connect with a new, actively engaged audience where they already are, through something they enjoy doing – building environments,” Jennifer Lo, North America brand director, Procter & Gamble, maker of Dawn, said in an email. 

Each week of the challenge, judges from Overwolf, Dawn, International Bird Rescue, and The Marine Mammal Center will award each of the top three creators of the most “inspiring” wildlife clips with an Alienware computer. The clips will be judged on three criteria: quality and complexity of the build, the connection to Dawn’s wildlife efforts, and the overall quality and production of the video clip. At the end of the campaign, all participants will be entered into a raffle for an Oculus Rift Quest VR headset. 

“We know Minecraft players are incredibly creative, so we’re hoping to tap into that creativity to raise awareness of the fact that we share our environment with wildlife,” Lo said. “The challenge provides a creative way to learn about aquatic environments, the wildlife who live there.”

Dawn isn’t the first brand to tap into the gaming space. Lexus recently became a sponsor for esports organization, 100 Thieves. French grocer Carrefour set up virtual supermarkets in Fortnite to help players “heal” by eating healthy food. Last year, Hellman’s created an island in Animal Crossing. With consumers stuck at home during the pandemic, many turned to video games, and advertisers are eager to follow these consumers. Gaming platforms are becoming another marketing channel, known for attracting a younger demographic that's heavily engaged with the content. 

Minecraft is a 3D, sandbox, open-ended video game. The world is composed of cubes and fluids representing materials like dirt, stone, tree trunks, and water. Players can “mine” the cubes for materials and build with them.