Kids Draw the Darnest Things!

 

For the past four months, we have been working closely with our Saatchi & Saatchi network colleagues in Tokyo, Japan on a very exciting project inspiring creativity in kids all over the world. It’s called Dream Car of the Day, and it stemmed from an annual art contest that Toyota Motor Sales & Marketing hosts each year as a part of its social contribution programs. Children ages 4 to 15 are asked to submit drawings of what they imagine their dream car of the future to be.

This year, the judges had to sift through over 660,000 submissions from over 75 countries in order to arrive at the 90 Finalists, who then had their artwork turned into remarkable Vine videos by the creative team at Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon. These aren’t just any 6 second loops; 3D printed models, stop-motion animation, CGI, papercraft and more were used to truly bring these imaginative drawings to life.

The campaign officially ended this week, but I found it so moving I’m just not ready to stop talking about it! Specifically, I want to share the fresh and insightful perspectives of the young participants now that all 90 Dream Car Vine videos have been released.

As sustainability communications professionals, we were blown away by how many kids chose to include solutions to environmental problems in their designs – something that wasn’t a specific requirement for the contest. While they may not yet be in the realm of possibility (hey, it wasn’t too long ago that the idea of generating electricity from the sun seemed outlandish), the fact that kids from every continent had the earth in mind when imagining technology and vehicles in the future makes me feel hopeful about the fate of this troubled planet.

For your viewing pleasure, I rounded up my favorite Dream Cars that go way beyond transportation, offering innovative approaches to environmental sustainability and looking pretty darn cool while they’re at it. Click on the Dream Car names to see their Vines!

 

 Aqua Tour by Deepak Saji Kumar (age 14), Qatar

 

Designed to draw out water from the humid atmosphere, this car contributes to irrigation and generates drinking water after purification.

 

 The Population and Pollution Balance by Shanzay Shafqat Bajwa (age 14), Pakistan

 

Not only does this car run on fuel generated from pollution, it has the ability to create a livable atmosphere so we can live on Mars when the Earth becomes overpopulated!

 

 Recycling Plant Car by Sumeeth Singh (age 10), South Africa

 

This car sucks up any broken plastic items and turns them into building blocks for housing.

 

 Soil Improver Car by Matthew Kofi Barfour Twuma (age 6), Ghana

 

A gardener’s dream! Illustrated in pretty watercolors, this micro vehicle aerates the soil for maximum crop yield. Imagine what it could do for sustainable agriculture!

 

Powered by Waste by Gelanyi Kata (Age 13), Hungary

 

Renewable energy and recycled waste come together to drive this environmentally friendly car.

 

 Nature Sound Music Car by Sethumdee Dulanya Dewagamage (age 6), Sri Lanka

 

What other sources of renewable energy can power a vehicle? In this dream car, the sounds of nature is transformed to fuel!

 

From the wacky to whimsical, to just plain heart-melting, there’s more to be seen on the Dream Car Vine account.

While we were all fast asleep this past Wednesday, 31 children from around the world gathered at the Mega Web, Toyota’s exposition center in Tokyo, for the 8^th annual Dream Car Art Contest award ceremony. Winners were awarded with Gold, Silver and Bronze distinctions in three different age categories.

From the breadth of amazing submissions and the winners the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, it’s clear we need to encourage the dreams and ideas of children, no matter how nonsensical they may seem…you just may be talking to the next Elon Musk!