The Fun Theory is an initiative from Volkswagens BlueMotion Technologies – a series of cars and innovations that help reduce environmental impact without compromising on performance or the joy of driving. This film is one of three experiments that prove that fun can change behaviour for the better.

The piano stairs: Can we get more people to choose the stairs over the escalator by making it fun to do? A staircase in a subway station was turned into a gigantic piano. The experiment was set up and secretly documented. Resulting in 66% more people than normal choosing to take the stairs over the escalator. The Fun Theory was proved.

Our solution was a theory, focusing on the thinking behind the cars; that the easiest way to change human behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. We called this The Fun Theory. The theory enabled us to make a campaign that used several mediums in an innovative combination, that blurred the lines between outdoor, event, film and online. We tested the Fun Theory in three behaviour change experiments – real outdoor events in Stockholm - which we filmed and released on YouTube. The experiments were The Piano Stairs, The World’s Deepest Bin and the Bottle Bank Arcade.The experiment films were gathered at the funtheory.com, which showed how Volkswagen had applied the thinking to their cars.We also created a competition called the Fun Theory Award, where people could compete with their own ideas for helping people make better choices through fun.

The Fun Theory rapidly became the most viral campaign in the world (according to ViralChart.com), and over 17 million people saw the YouTube films. Global media outlets spread the campaign further and made it into a global discussion topic. The Fun Theory Award received hundreds of amazing competition entries from over 35 countries.

The campaign had put the philosophy behind BlueMotion Technologies on the map, and created a global conversation on the role of fun in changing human behaviour for the better.And in Sweden, where it all began, Volkswagen now has the highest selling eco car.