VIDEO: Fun Theory Part 3 - VW's bottle bank arcade finds plenty of players
VW Fun Theory Part 3, Bottle Bank Arcade -- Click above to watch video
VW's Fun Theory project, with its European ad agency DDB, takes on a third task to show that you can get more people to do the right thing if you make it fun. This time it's bottle recycling, and the tool used is a bin fitted with an arcade scoreboard. After a "player" presses start, lights flash above any of the six holes in the bin and the recycler collects points for putting a bottle in the correct opening. It's the same theory as whack-a-mole but with glass bottles.
Just as the other Fun Theory demonstrations with the bottomless garbage can and the piano steps, people flocked to the Bottle Bank Arcade: it was used 50 times more than the plain green bin sitting nearby. Put a scoreboard on something and all of a sudden people will celebrate doing anything – when's the last time you saw a grown man shaking his fist over throwing away a bottle? Follow the jump to see for yourself.
[Source: YouTube]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ack154 11:39AM (10/19/2009)
Like I think someone mentioned in one of the other threads for this... it will be cool and new for about a month. Then it will likely be ignored just like the others.
That said, it can't hurt to try stuff like this on a larger scale... if someone has the $$. But I think that's the question that would hold "fun" things like this up, like it does everything else.
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naturalyshocked 4:40PM (10/19/2009)
software update?
change rules every x times.
: )
lifesaver77 6:08PM (10/26/2009)
It looks great and would certainly attract users. However, if you tried this in the United States outside of areas with a lot of traffic, someone would either trash the machine or steal it.
nrb 11:40AM (10/19/2009)
VW rehashes decade old ideas, that have nothing to do with automobiles, but they continue to get published on ABG. That's marketing!
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nrb 11:40AM (10/19/2009)
ABG -> AB. I forgot where I was.
Even worse.
Paul 11:43AM (10/19/2009)
So whats the end game for this? How do they wrap it around the back end to tie in with a specific product other than the general "VW is fun" line?
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j 12:15PM (10/19/2009)
The point is that making an otherwise boring task (like driving) fun, can change behavior for the better. VW cars are supposed to be fun to drive and will likewise make their owners happier people.
Paul 12:17PM (10/19/2009)
Yes, i understand that as I indicated in my post, but a decent marketing initiative will have an end point. One that takes of the footage of all of these things and melds the message in a (preferably new) product. At this point this looks neat but number of cars sold through this? Probably 0-1.
noodlz 12:24PM (10/19/2009)
Why would an end point suddenly sell cars? Any remotely intelligent person can make that connection without having the dots connected for them. I can see people showing up in the dealership because of these ads.
BLS 12:29PM (10/19/2009)
I am thinking the end product pushed may be the GTD.
tuna 2:18PM (10/19/2009)
I think it's just a simple non-traditional brand campaign to imply that VWs are fun, more than just a car to go from A to B. If you go to the Fun Theory site, there is an award and call for entries.
Interesting... and I'm sure those exposed to each execution enjoy it as much as the videos show, but I don't know if they get that it's VW related? And for those of us watching it online, it's already getting tiresome... as in "ok, ok, I get it."
To your point, something does appear to be missing.
Swede 3:12PM (10/19/2009)
VW's point is that it's possible to change peoples behaviour by making things both beneficial and fun, hoping of course to sell a few of their BlueMotion models which are both beneficial for the enviroment and fun to drive if you ask the Peoples Car company.
Paul 3:13PM (10/19/2009)
Ahhh Swede nails it - thats the end point.
sponsoring 11:51AM (10/19/2009)
Beautiful.
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mats.soderberg 6:33AM (10/23/2009)
Swedish humor
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Edsel 3:53PM (10/19/2009)
Why, I feel better about my VW Routan already! Is it sporty & fun? No, but the commercials are engaging. LOL
VW is selling the "oink" and not the ham. It works, and this type of advertising has worked since the invention of, well....consumer stuff.
Does anyone remember the first Lexus commercials? No car, just emotive trees, flowers, music.
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mikemaj82 4:44PM (10/19/2009)
this pretty much shows that people are just dumb animals.
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dsgnr 6:00PM (10/19/2009)
+1
RLC 11:01PM (10/20/2009)
Does VW feel compelled by guilt to provide fun things for people to do because so many VW drivers spend countless dreary hours in their service department waiting rooms?
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