Fall in and flip out! Bin Weevils, the UK's leading virtual world for kids, is expanding again with the much-anticipated addition of Bin Gardens for every weevil to tend. This summer, the Bin is buzzing about the launch of the Gardens. Weevils will be able to cultivate all kinds of zany flora, from snapping Venus Flytraps to Dancing Daisies and gigantic mushrooms. They might even grow their own weevil zombie!
“What makes the Bin Gardens unique is that they’re not just about watering plants and seeing flowers grow. Weevils can harvest what they plant for mulch [virtual money] and experience points. Keeping your Weevil’s stats up will also affect your garden’s growth rate and how often you can harvest those crops that regenerate. It’s a miniature business model that requires strategizing and planning as well as careful upkeep,” explains John-Paul Burke, media partnerships manager. "There is even an eco-friendly aspect, since weevils can install a solar panel in their garden to improve their nest's energy efficiency."
Bin Weevils is one of the UK's fastest-growing online communities. In a whimsical and imaginative landscape, users aged 7-13 can play games, solve puzzles, decorate their nest, read previews of newly-released books, interact with friends and much more. This 3D online entertainment platform allows users to take control of an avatar in a way similar to Second Life, but in a safe and moderated environment that's suitable for young players.
Based on feedback from users, Bin Weevils has been fine-tuning the experience to include more interactive competitions, additional challenges and more benefits for paying subscribers (known as Bin Tycoons). The introduction of the Bin Garden adds an additional incentive for users to return to the Bin to check on the progress of their plants and flowers.
The Bin is a great place for advertisers, serving over 65 million page impressions per month, presenting innovative and entertaining advertising campaigns for its users. Bin Weevils excels at bringing kids into contact with advertising in a fun, interactive way. In the Bin, users are immersed in branding without it feeling invasive or interfering with the gameplay. By presenting advertising in the form of additional content - games, treasure hunts, themed parties, exclusive nest items, and "sneak peeks" at upcoming books and movies - Bin Weevils gives advertisers a platform to captivate the attention of a wide audience while also collecting feedback about the experience.
By combining aspects of social networking and community-building with witty, interactive gameplay, Bin Weevils has achieved one of the longest dwell times for a children's gaming website. Bin Weevils commands a user's attention for an average of 27 minutes per session, in contrast with other sites such as Moshi Monsters and Club Penguin, which 'clock in' an average of 8 and 6 minutes respectively. (source: ComScore)