The Fun Theory

The Fun Theory (Thefuntheory.com) was a project of Volkswagen Sweden, “dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better.”

VW ran a competition seeking submissions on ways to change behaviour by making it fun to do so. The ideas they received were many and varied, and came from around the world. They included ways to promote road safety, recycling, fitness, and hygeine, an incentive for kids to get out of bed to go to school, and ways to discourage littering. The website shows all of the entries, as well as the ten finalists. The winner was the speed camera lottery – giving good drivers the chance to win awards funded from fines paid by those caught breaking the law – which was actually trialled in Stockholm and proved quite a success.

Piano Stairs was an experiment carried out in Stockholm to see if people could be encouraged to take the stairs instead of the escalator. It was wildly successful, and the video is entertaining – it’s great to watch adults having as much fun as the kids.