OpenRoad + Mod7
Two pioneering organizations, together at last.
OpenRoad is pleased to announce the acquisition of creative agency Mod7.
Read the letter from our PrincipalThe X-Weighted National Challenge: Improving People's Health, Improving People's Lives
Posted on January 10, 2012 in Our Work by Mod7
The documentary series X-Weighted featured the journey of unique individuals on their journey of personal transformation. Every episode, fitness expert Paul Plakas worked with people to address their root causes of self-image and weight issues, not just the obvious eating habits at the surface. Once the show's uniquely balanced and holistic approach grew in popularity, the producers decided to bring the X-Weighted experience to viewers at home. Enter Mod7.
Working with Anaid Productions and our friends at Fuse Interactive, Mod7 designed and built the X-Weighted National Challenge, a destination where fans of the popular Canadian television show could embark on their own 26 week online program in order to make healthy changes in their diet and life. Using either a web interface or a custom mobile app, users could do things like: track their weight, track their level and length of daily exercise, upload/share favourite recipes, set personal goals, and more. Each week new educational videos and helpful resources would be shared to inform the user's decision-making process and offer insight on a particular topic.
On this community-driven site, users were encouraged and motivated by peers from around Canada. They could maintain a personal blog of their journey, and form groups based on location or activity type. We "gamified" this system through the use of badges and progress trackers, as well as "trophies" friends could share with each other in encouragement.
On the opening weekend of the National Challenge, the site had nearly 4000 participants sign-up for the 26-week-long commitment ( that's engagement!), with hundreds more signing up on a weekly basis in later phases. The program and website is now closed, but both the producers and the Slice Network considered the program to be a successful way to create change and community for their fans. Many of the people impacted positively through the site continue to maintain the close social network through closed Facebook groups sanctioned by the show's creators.