Prudential: Escape Room

The background

Financial planning is wildly important to start early, yet many young people put it off because it doesn’t feel like it will affect them right now. Or because it’s not as fun as hanging out with their friends or playing video games. Until now.

The execution

The Prudential Escape Room was constructed in the middle of Fast Company’s Innovation Festival in New York’s Grand Central Station. Over 200 people walked through a series of gamified financial riddles that spanned over a thousand feet of space.

To speak to young audiences, the experience was set up like a parents’ basement (where they could end up living if they didn’t take care of their finances). Participants were asked to dance (DDR-style) their way through loans and retirements plans so they could secure their financial future before they moved on to the next challenges, which included decoding employee benefits and the trials of being a caretaker.

The results

The entire experience was built in under 21 hours, and 1,300 challenges were solved by a slew of young people. We can only hope that these eye-opening riddles will encourage them to dance-dance their way to planning their real finances.