Entertain and Sustain was asked to develop a concept for a marathon in the Netherlands. The aim was to let both the runners and the visitors think about ‘sustainability’ and ‘energy’. Below are some images of the steps we took to come to a concept that acknowledges the physical and mental state of the runners after finishing and provides an experience that is both social and sustainable.
The first step is to talk to people that have been going through the experience of running a marathon and can give insight in how it feels and what you do after crossing the line. Based on these feelings and actions a customer journey can be drawn out showing possible touch points for a ‘sustainability experience’.
It was realised quickly that the main chances to provide interaction about sustainability are by using the friends and family of the runners and not purely the runners themselves. After analysing the opinions and experiences of runners, it became clear that from the runner’s perspective the most important aspect after finishing is recovery. Not only physical, but also mental. It is important for the runner to cope with the pain in a good way and to share the joy of finishing with their loved ones. Any ‘interactive experience’ should be a service that helps this process.
We came up with several ideas that combine different aspects of this process and bring sustainable energy sources, recycling or human power in.
We discussed the chosen ideas and visualized the scenarios for the runner and his family / friends. The final concept encapsulates several elements of the different ideas; integrating the social bond between family / friends and the runner and providing an experience to the runner that is relaxing and comforting.
