The answer is to hack the accounts of six of the biggest YouTube gamers and take control, and this is exactly what Mattessons, the snack people did*! With their #HuntTheHacker campaign, the cooked meat snack brand have created an exciting online game which actually teaches the players technical skills, leading to a level one completion of the coding language Python.
BritMums sent dad of two, Paul Rowbottom to the press launch of this campaign to find out more about how it is teaching kids to code. Over to Paul…
“The UK is struggling to meet the employment demands of a growing tech led business sector and it is this reported ‘skills gap’ that led in 2014 to the inclusion of coding in the national curriculum. As a parent of two boys (both KS3) I have a keen interest in how they will engage with technology, as these skills are becoming increasingly important for their future career prospects. So after an invitation to a ‘Parents Coding Day‘ through Ali at Incredibusy, I found myself heading to Shoreditch with other blogging parents.
Here is a video to explain the thinking behind this campaign.
The ‘Snacker Hacker‘ campaign is apparently the 3rd and most elaborate of three recent tech orientated campaigns by Mattessons that aims to surreptitiously engage children in the processess of coding but in a way that feels more like game play than tech study. Learning to code brings benefits to both numeracy and literacy skills and problem solving techniques can also inspire creativity. Logical processing can be applied in pretty much any working environment so the need to be digitally able is now more important than ever.
Touted as a ‘Parent’s Coding Day’, I went along to Makers Academy in London to find out what coding is about and to learn more about the Mattessons campaign. Makers Academy is a young vibrant tech startup company that provides intensive ‘Bootcamp’ coding courses to adults on a virtual basis and have been working with Mattessons to offer accreditation to their #HuntTheHacker game. I was met by Jordan (Sales and Marketing Director) who showed me around the equally young and vibrant workspaces on Commercial Rd, E1. The place was a hive of activity with students working at an array of screens and laptops. They work in teams sectioned into groups, from new starters through to recent graduates filtering their job opportunities.
The campaign tells us that “At exactly twenty hundred hours on the 27th September, six of the biggest gamers were hacked. Their channels were attacked. Their gamer tags stolen.” Then proceeds to give us a link to the hackers’ website so we can hunt the hacker! You can try the game for yourself at this link and watch the hacker’s video.
As part of the campaign, a group of influential YouTube gaming vloggers allowed their YouTube channels to appear hacked by an anonymous villain. The Hacker posted a cryptic video annoucing his take over of the channel, taunting the viewer that he now has all the power. On investigation, I followed a link to what appears to be a remote computer.
A wacky background image on a PC desktop presents an opportunity to explore folders and uncover a series of obscure challenges. With each challenge the participant gets closer to uncovering the identity of the hacker and by completeing the series they unwittingly acquire or demonstrate, a skillset that would enable them to gain a level one coding qualification. From a branding perspective this is all very low key, with no obvious Mattessons branding visible when accessing the Snack Hacker media. Anyone who manages to complete all the challenges will be congratulated on their achievements and given an opportunity to apply for a free place at Makers Academy.
After talking me through the Snack Hacker campaign I chatted with Jordan about Makers Academy. He is clearly passionate in his enthusiasm for the business, which not only teaches cutting edge coding techniques but also pioneers a cutting edge ‘management free’ ethos. Self motivation is key with employees setting their own salary and budget needs. Mindfullness and meditation are essential, “if you think you don’t need to meditate, you need to sit down and meditate until you realise why you need to meditate”
It has a buzz around that is infectious and talking to students the positive attitude has rubbed off. Everybody I spoke to was relishing the challenges that come thick and fast throughout the 12 weeks and I can see why my kids are excited about coding.
All in all this was an interesting day out. I could learn what my kids learn in school and it has inspired me to investigate Codeacademy.com , a website with a selection of free coding tutorials. Who knows, after dipping my toes in the water I might be back to try out for the Makers Academy more in depth bootcamp. Whilst I have been learning about coding and the Snacker Hacker challenge, my youngest son who is 12yrs has reached the third challenge at remote.ctr-ll.net – the #HuntTheHacker campaign.”
Since the start of the month-long campaign, which has seen packs of Mattessons Fridge Raiders re-designed with #HuntTheHacker computer like packaging, over 24,000 children aged 13 to 17 have completed the challenge and earned themselves an accredited digital coding certificate. A recent House of Lords report highlighted that whilst demand for computer science jobs is at an all time high, the UK’s IT education standards have fallen, so this campaign is a great way to motivate youngsters to learn to code.
*The Hunt The Hacker campaign is a marketing campaign and no actual YouTube gamers accounts were hacked!
For more information on Mattessons, Makers Academy or the Hunt The Hacker campaign, visit their websites.
Home page image credit: Iakov Filimonov, Shutterstock
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