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August 04, 2010

TheFunTheory.com Blows My Mind

I may be late to this party but I don't care: This shit is amazing. The thesis as put forth by thefuntheory.com:

This site is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better. Be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different, the only thing that matters is that it’s change for the better.

As proven by the piano/stairs video, they got it totally right. Add the fact that they also have a contest to crowdsource more ideas that prove their thesis,  with videos and voting and such and the whole thing goes from great to simply brilliant. Seriously.

The biggest thing for me though, is who is sponsoring the whole thing. Right, it's VW. They are paying somebody to manage the site, to do the original stunts and to maintain the whole thing. Yet aside from the front page of the site, I don't see a VW logo anywhere. Or a picture of a car. Or a link to our newest TV campaign. Or even a list of correctly-spelled dealer names. Sure you've got a © Volkswagen at the bottom, but of course you're gonna get that.

My questions: 
1. How do we get our clients to sponsor this kind of "initiative"? There's clearly a shocking amount of earned media here, but, as you guys know, that's really difficult to pin an ROI onto.

2. Are some clients just too unsophisticated or simply unwilling to greenlight a project like this? And if so, is there any way to get them to change their thinking?

3. What can you do that takes a non-advertising idea and turns it into way to get your clients earned media and, dare I say, viral attention?

In all, I think this is about the most awesome thing I've seen in awhile. What do you guys think?

Posted by Tug McTighe on August 04, 2010 at 10:09 AM | Permalink
Categories: Advertising , Brave New Marketing , Consumer Content , Current Affairs , Entertainment , Marketing Trends

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Comments

Loving it. And yes, one of the best viral videos from last year. And to your question - love your good clients. I wish more were brave enough to do more of this. Some clients keep the lights on. Others deserve to be treasured and protected for their willingness to "let to the dogs run off the leash."

Posted by:Mike Johnston | August 04, 2010 at 11:51 AM

Love this - who doesn't it?

I love it so much I want to see it done for real in the UK.

Forget Fun Theory. It's time for Fun Practice.

Tell you why I thought of it - our local playground is covered in rubbish (trash).

I've spent hours picking it up early on Saturday mornings because 1. some of the kids clearly don't know any better 2. there aren't enough bins (trash cans) and
3. the bins that are there probably aren't emptied regularly enough.

So I'd love VW to cough up and place some of these bins in our local park - that's what I'd love.

Can you imagine? Kids would actually run around picking up other kids' trash JUST to hear that awesome sound as you throw something in to the Fun Theory's bottomless cans.

But then what would happen?

The bins would get so full, so fast, that you'd need special collections to deal with all the extra trash.

Then of course there are the kids who'd want to find out why this bin was making this cool noise.

In other words, they'd destroy them.

Where did the experiment take place?

Scandinavia? A nice part of Scandinavia?

Now my local park isn't even a particularly rough part of town.

Even so, I wouldn't give the bins more than a week.

I could be wrong about that.

Maybe I should give VW a call. Trash-strewn parks need something.

So now we've seen the theory, let's see the practice!

As for the theory, I don't think it's particuarly new, do you?

I mean since when has anything hard work been very successful, in terms of changing behaviour.

I'm not hating. Honest. Just saying.

Also, what's the link with VWs? Are they really fun?

Sorry, another question you're probably not supposed to ask. But is there an answer?

Love you!

Posted by:Hayes Thompson | August 13, 2010 at 11:56 AM

Thank you for finding and sharing a fabulous video. I'm also late to the party but better late than never.

P.S. I love Haye's trashcan idea! My own neighborhood park could use some fun.

Posted by:Jill Anderson | August 21, 2010 at 03:54 PM

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