Win bin: Volkswagen makes a game of doing good

Stockholm – Do-gooding is no longer dull, with a playful new initiative by Volkswagen. As part of its Fun Theory initiative to nudge people into doing the right thing, the auto maker has turned a recycling bank into an arcade game. The Bottle Bank Arcade Machine in Stockholm scores users on how many bottles they recycle; a recent test found that the game attracted nearly 100 users in a single evening, compared to the 2 people using a standard bottle bank nearby.

With other ventures including a subway staircase whose steps sound like piano keys (to encourage exercise), and what appears to be the world’s deepest bin (created to prevent littering), the Fun Theory is an appealing initiative that blends Dreamtelligence with Civic Branding, making for an altogether appealing take on giving back to the local community.