To inspire the gala attendees, we were inspired by the tool that knows hearts best—the stethoscope. For over 200 years, it’s been listening to the hearts of millions, so we decided to reimagine what a stethoscope could do. We transformed it, and created an entire experience around it to show AHA supporters what the power of their hearts has already done and what their hearts can continue to do.

To show this impact, we asked gala attendees to put their hearts into it and used the stethoscopes interactively to tell a story. We found four individuals who suffered from a cardiovascular event, but were saved by an innovation that had been made possible by generous donations to the AHA. Each film told the story of how that innovation didn't just save an individual, but allowed them to remain a cherished and loved member of a family.

For the experience to be a success, it was critical that the video application and stethoscopes worked seamlessly together.

We began with the video, searching for individuals to tell their story and inviting them and their families to a video shoot.

We then began designing the stethoscope, which took about 2 weeks to perfect. The build was a combination of video and object-oriented programming; leveraging microcontrollers, photo- sensitive resistors, breadboards, and a ton of wiring to get the digitally infused stethoscopes to interface with the video application.

For the biggest impact, the engagement worked in two ways: when placed against someone’s chest, the child’s loved one would appear, but when removed, they would begin to disappear.

Four installations were placed strategically around the floor of the 700-person gala in New York, where we knew we were reaching people who cared about the AHA mission.

Attendees were able to experience, for themselves, the direct impact that their heart has on the hearts of so many others. At the 700-person gala, we were able to touch the hearts of everyone, raising more than $1 million in just one night. The experience was such a success, several other AHA chapters inquired about installing the experience at their upcoming events.