Homeless charity Depaul UK has launched a controversial iPhone app that enables you to download your very own iHobo. As in a homeless person, not a suspiciously intelligent Canadian German Shepherd dog.

With iHobo, you download yourself a young homeless person and pay real cash to provide them with essential basics such as food, a sleeping bag, and

Your iHobo asking for emotional comfort

emotional and financial comfort. This has inevitably (and no doubt deliberately) invoked a significant amount of upset comment about the tastelessness of the app and its name. Without a doubt, the use of the term ‘hobo’ is inappropriate (as well as annoyingly Americanised – but that’s a whole other issue), akin to the flippant yet incredibly offensive use of the term ‘pikey’.

Depaul UK has said that the naming of the app ‘iHobo’ was intended to “question the labels that are placed upon young homeless people and the misconceptions that surround them”, but I suspect that the subtle subtext might be lost in download. (As an aside, the quality of the active live action video footage makes it a tempting app for those more interested in the technical advancement side of things than engaging in a heated moral debate.)

However, the fact is that Depaul UK is a homeless charity and so more than most understands the negative outlook faced by young homeless people today. Despite the inappropriate name, this is a rather clever idea from Publicis London to help Depaul UK not only raise its profile amongst a difficult to reach audience, but also to raise money. Every time the user buys food or other comforts for their iHobo, a percentage of that goes direct to Depaul UK.

The controversial nature (and quality) of this app means it has real potential to go viral. In times when charity giving is at an all time low and charities have to fight to grab peoples’ attention (and their money) this latest app venture could prove to be a very profitable revenue source. Publicis and Depaul UK are betting on iPhone users finding it easier (or, dare I say it, being more willing) to spend money on iPhone apps rather than donate directly to charity. And they might, just might, be on to something there.