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Future Chicken show helps kids battle eco-anxiety by becoming planet protectors

As the world's leaders geared up for COP28, a thematically related, animated show premiered on CBC Kids. Developed by Star Wars veteran Catherine Winder, Future Chicken stars a time-traveling eco-superhero chicken called Potato and her sidekick Frittata (an egg who wears rocket pants). The show's goal? Countering climate doomism for 6 to 10-year-olds.

Potato, Frittata and the rest of the cast broadcast 'The Future Chicken Today Show' from 2050. Their mission is critical: inspiring change in the present to safeguard our planet's future. Encouraging today's kids to take positive environmental action, Future Chicken features interviews with real-world ecological experts and activists, interspersed with interactive segments that educate and motivate. Topics covered include trash-sorting robots, insect protein, recycling sneakers and nature sounds as brain-boosters.

In addition to the full show on linear TV and streaming, Future Chicken is serving up video shorts and a podcast, and Potato also appears as a non-player character on Roblox.

Trend Bite

Let's be honest: if the adults in charge genuinely placed the universal needs of children first, there would be immediate and resolute action to slam the brakes on climate change. Nobody would be negotiating whether to phase down or phase out, or debating whether food systems need changing.

Kids are smart. They pick up on the anxiety adults feel, they hear and see news about the climate crisis and concerns about the future. Future Chicken is tapping into a profound pressing social trend: the ecological uncertainty faced by generations Z and Alpha. Inheriting a profoundly altered planet can lead to feelings of helplessness, but anxiety can also be a catalyst for action. Future Chicken understands this dynamic and leverages it to playfully cultivate resilience and determination in today's kids.

The narrative structure of placing protagonists in the future, looking back at our current time, is particularly effective. It offers perspective on the choices we make today and underscores the need for long-term thinking. This framing can also foster a sense of agency in young people, encouraging them to envision and work towards a better future. How could your brand help kids and teens transform apprehension into action and empowerment?
4 December 2023

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