RESPIRATORY APP | Alvio | 2014
Breath Became the Game Controller / RESPIRATORY APP "Alvio"
Kids with asthma hate breathing exercises. But what if your breath itself became the controller for a game? Alvio made a game where a pufferfish swims just by you breathing in and out.
The problem
Research shows that sticking with breathing exercises can significantly reduce the amount of medication needed. Yet existing medical devices had no way to track progress or make training engaging—for kids, they were just boring and scary.
The insight
Kids can't stick to a routine. So why not turn "training" into a "game"? At a time when the word gamification gets thrown around loosely, the team wanted to build a game that would actually work.
The idea
They paired a Bluetooth breathing device with a smartphone game: breathing in and out moves a pufferfish character up and down. There's even a game where you compete on the strength of your breath. All the breathing data from play is recorded automatically, so parents and doctors can check it. R/GA handled everything from the branding to the device prototype to the app's game design.
What happened
The campaign won Gold and Bronze at Cannes Lions in 2014, and also picked up awards at The One Show and D&AD. Despite having zero promotional budget, it led to clinical trials in hospitals and even a talk at TEDMED.
Afterthought
An ad agency actually built the product itself. And the goal—getting kids healthier through play—never wavered from start to finish. I'd love to do work like this.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Gold 2014
