The Campaign

Thai Health Promotion Foundation is concerned about the current health situation in Thailand. 57% of citizens die before the age of 70 with physical inactivity claimed as the main cause of death. Meanwhile less than 30% of young Thais are regularly engaged in physical activities. As a computer literate generation, it seems they need to be connected all the time so they are always glued to their gadgets. Exercise can be tedious for them. Health equals health, so we created Sweat Shop, the first app in the world that allows you to turn the calories you burn while exercising into cash. Unlike other heath apps that are currently available, this app gives both health and real tangible monetary rewards. These cash rewards or Sweat Coins, as they are called, can be used to purchase many branded things like running shoes, t-shirts, bags and accessories from stores all around Thailand.

The Brief

Our main target is Thai young generation who are computer literate. On average they spend 17, 8 hours per day on different types of digital media. They need to be connected at all times. They are very capable of multi tasking and are very selective. Our target audience only chose digital content that is beneficial to them. They perceive exercise to be dull and tedious. We need young people to be motivated to exercise in their own way, simple, beneficial and easy to do.

Creative Execution

We started planning about the app since beginning last year. With the support from Thai Health Promotion Foundation, we refined this app, perfecting it based on Thai young generation's behaviour and how they perceived health. In paralel, the app was developed and we invited local enterpreneurs to join the programme. The local enterpreneurs were positive about the app. They believe Thai young people would be very excited about this app. At the beginning of March 2014, we launched the pilot app for the first time and the result was overwhelming. We went up from 16 chain stores to 37 chain stores now are accepting Sweat Coins.

In the very first week of launch, we tracked that 4,559,800 calories had been burned and 291,196 Sweat Coins earned. The Thai Health Promotional Foundation is surprised to see young Thais positive feedback on the app and how this app motivates them in a simple and effective way. Many local Thai entrepreneurs are calling to join up to the program. Sweat Coins could be the new currency in Thailand that marks the rise of Thai young generation awareness about the importance of health.

The strategy: Health equals Wealth. We created Sweat Shop, the first app in the world that allows you to turn the calories you burn while exercising into cash. This app gives both health and real tangible monetary rewards. These cash rewards or ‘Sweat Coins’, as they are called, can be used to purchase many branded items from stores all around Thailand. Local entrepreneurs quickly jumped into this health band wagon as it helps them promote health in the country as well as their business. Thai Health Promotion Foundation has always tried to motivate Thais to exercise in a fun, effective and easy way. This app is specially designed to motivate young people to exercise because the more calories they burn, the more Sweat Coins they earn. Quoting them: “getting healthy has never been this easy and fun”.