PowToon, software that puts the power of animation into everyone’s hands, had a crazy idea. They wanted to see if animation was universal so they decided to find someone who had never seen cartoons before. As a result, they went to Tanzania to meet the Hadzabe Tribe to see if they could connect and communicate through cartoons.
DIVERGE talked to PowToon CEO and Co-Founder, Ilya Spitalnik to hear about their journey!
Where did this idea come from?
The love of animation. In our world of micro-attention-spans and constant distraction, we at PowToon see how the power of cartoons grabs attention every day. We see how messages communicated using animation, break through the clutter and are received with an open mind.
We just assumed that this was a result of childhood conditioning – hours in front of Saturday morning TV have taught us to view cartoon messages as something fun and enjoyable – so when they are presented in a business setting, our mind takes us back to our youth and makes us absorb the message in a more open minded way.
To see if this assumption was true, one of the PowToon Scientists suggested finding people who had never been exposed to cartoons and see what would happen when they saw them for the first time.
That was the moment we began our journey to Tanzania.
What was the journey/experience like?
The video does not do the trip justice. We researched many tribes around the world that live a technologically isolated existence, and as fate would have it, we chose to visit the Hadzabe. The Hadzabe tribe is nomadic, so they were not easy to find. After searching endlessly and nearly giving up, our guide, Mustafa, was able to locate them and spoke with Chief HanXa who granted us permission to meet the entire tribe.
This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we were completely overwhelmed by the Hadzabe’s warmth and hospitality.
What was your favorite part of the journey?
Seeing Acco create his first PowToon and realizing that animation really is a universal language. We had no way to communicate with each other than using Powtoon to create cartoons, and within minutes we had each other in stitches – rolling on the floor laughing – I think I can say that I have never had a similar experience in my life… and I will never forget it. It removes any doubt in mind that animation is a universal language, and is not related to childhood conditioning.
How did your company help the tribes and why is social impact and making a difference so important?
This particular region is very harsh on the Hadzabe. Water is only used for drinking and the dust and climate can causes major eye problems. Until now, local doctors have been unable to reach the Hadzabe, because they move around and when the doctors find them, they are suspicious and run away. We were able to earn trust with the tribe and so they allowed us to bring the local doctors to help. We have set up regular medical assistance for them and are providing food to keep them thriving. The Hadzabe are quickly fading away. We hope that our assistance will help them sustain their way of life.
What was your conclusion? Are cartoons universal?
Animation truly is a universal language. Beyond that we realize that no matter how far apart, people are all connected and a little bit of laughter really can bring everyone together.
Do you plan on doing this again with a new journey?
We will never stop helping people connect with laughter using cartoons. We will continue to put the power of animation into everyone’s hands. Also, we are committed to supporting the Hadzabe.
Additional thoughts?
There is so much conflict and isolation in today’s world. Even with our technology we are more disconnected from one another than ever before. We believe that the power of cartoons and laughter can bring us together. Art is the universal language and technology is a way to deliver it.
