Creative agency Mother’s latest IP venture, The Ministry of Letters, is launching a smartphone app – the latest development in its children’s entertainment project, which aims to foster a love of literacy in children.
The app, called ‘The Singing Alphabet’, builds on the idea that the alphabet is alive, highly organised and made up of a gang of unique, colourful male and female characters.
In the app, the 26 members of the alphabet are shown waiting on stage ready to perform for the user. Children touch a letter to hear it sing its ‘phonetic’ sound. By continuing to press the characters, simple words can be created at the bottom of the screen and the child becomes a composer by creating their own unique tunes.
‘The Singing Alphabet’ app aims to get children playing with, and enjoying, letters and words rather than teaching them phonics. It was developed under the guidance of Samantha Mennell, a former teacher and educational expert, who now heads up the Ministry’s educational department.
Mennell says: “Our aim is to excite young children about the endless possibilities that those 26 characters in the alphabet offer and the lifetime’s worth of entertainment, knowledge and pleasure it can lead to. We wanted to take advantage of tablet technology to explore the exciting fact that our alphabet is alive and able to interact with children. We hope that this interactive experience will increase their enjoyment of, and interest in, the alphabet and what can be done with it.”
The app, released today in versions for iPhone and iPad, was created in-house at Mother, being produced by Bosh, Mother’s production arm. The music, an original 26-part harmony - was composed by Charlie Inman and performed by Inman and several Mother people. A 60 second promotional film featuring children playing with the product and singing the sounds was directed by Bosh’s Anthony Austin.
Credits
Client: Ministry of Letters
Creative Agency: Mother
Production Company: BOSH
Music: Charlie Inman
Developer: Ministry of Letters
Video writer/director: Anthony Austin