Part 1 of the Mindful Marketer series: PLAY IS THE NEW RUNNING It makes you healthier and happier, this is why.

1. PLAYis the new running
by Ludmilla Kiss, Connector-of-Dots
October 2016

2. WHAT IS PLAY?

3. “We can really know we are
playing when it feels, on the
surface, that it’s purposeless.
We’re not task-oriented, it’s
voluntary. It’s inherently
attractive. It feels fun. We feel
free of time constraints. We’re
less aware of ourselves. We
feel improvisational.”
Prof. Dacher Keltner UC Berkeley Psychology faculty, The Science of Happiness MOOC on EdX

6. Source: The Science of Happiness, UC Berkeley on EdX
It is scientifically proven that the
benefits of play tend to correlate
with creativity, social
connectedness, learning things,
solving problems,
reduced levels of stress and
increased well-being.

9. HOW DOES PLAY
AFFECT YOU?

10. Play is crucial to physical,
intellectual, and social-emotional
development at all ages. For
adolescents, play is a means of
exploring possible identities, as
well as a way to blow off steam
and stay fit. Even adults have the
potential to unite play, love, and
work attaining the dynamic, joyful
state that psychologist Mihály
Csikszentmihályi calls “flow”.
Source: The Science of Happiness, UC Berkeley on EdX

14. On a neurobiological level, we are naturally
wired to play because this is how pathways
between neurons develop.
Play grows the brain.
Also, new neural pathways that overrule
damaged neural synapses (caused by
stressful and traumatic circumstances) can be
developed through play.
Play is therapeutic.
Source: The Interpersonal Neurobiology of Play by Theresa A. Kestly

16. SO WHY NOT
TRAIN
YOUR
SYNAPSESLIKE YOU TRAIN YOUR BODY?

19. get your
monthly
weekly
daily
dose of
PLAY

20. and
make your
consumers play
like these innovations do

21. Every September an abandoned ghost-town nearby Bergamo becomes the perfect
setting for the international Hide-and-Seek World Championships, where grown-up
adults loose themselves in playing the traditional childrens’ game.

22. Camp No Counselors invites anyone between the ages of 24 and 40 to a summer camp
for adults in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Nashville where you find exactly what
you'd find at any regular kids' camp: meals in the dining hall, water sports, wilderness
activities, arts and crafts sessions and themed parties every night.

23. The Beast is the world’s biggest inflatable for Adult Kids. Designed, produced and run
by V-formation this 272m long obstacle course is unique in its own kind. Recommended
for events, family days, theme parks, festivals and fundraisings to appreciate off-time at
its full potential.

24. The ‘Polyphonic Playrgound’ is a multi-sensory installation that makes music when
people touch its various surfaces and swing on it. Its features are shown through a
choreographed interactive dance, but visitors may also interact with the musical
playground on their own terms.

25. The City Museum in St. Louis is the ultimate urban playground. Originally the International Shoe
Factory, it became a sky-high jungle gym with repurposed airplanes, 10-story slides and numerous
multi-floor slides, a rooftop Ferris wheel and a cantilevered school bus that juts out from the roof,
subterranean caves, a pipe organ, hundreds of feet of tunnels that traverse from floor to floor, an
aquarium, ball pits, a shoe lace factory, a circus arts facility, restaurants and even a bar for Grown-
Up Kids.

26. Duffy London was inspired by G.B. Shaw’s “We don’t stop playing because we grow
old, we grow old because we stop playing." quote when they designed the King
Aurthur Round Swing Table that plays down the customary rigour of board rooms.

27. Hershey's TAKE5 is a candy bar that mixes five classic flavors: peanut butter, nuts,
pretzels and caramel. In the spirit of remixing Hershey's created the TAKE5 Remixer, an
interactive packaging that lets consumers compose music—more than 30,000 unique
beat combinations can be created.

28. The Bubble Lick Edible Bubbles is a creative new mixology product by Firebox that
helps you create playful edible alcoholic bubbles. Users simply add their favorite
beverage to a bottle containing 25ml of the edible bubble solution. Once the lid has
been screwed back on, users simply give the bottle a gentle shake and the drink will
instantly be transformed into edible bubbles that can be blown with the included
wands.

29. The Eat Your Drink by Smith &Sinclair is the world’s first edible alcohol shop in Carnaby
Street London. The concept targets Grown-Up Kids by offering adult fun (alcoholic
cocktails) in childish shape (lollipop, candy-floss and more). Cocktail pastille falvors
include vodka, whisky, rum, gin.

30. Simultaneously to the global explosion of Pokémon Go Portland-based R/GA launched a
specialized tumblr account called ‘PokéID’ that allows anyone to submit shoe designs for specific
Pokémon characters using Nike's sneaker customization tool 'NIKEiD’. A smart activation that
extends the global Adult Kids gaming craze to the iconic brand.

31. Swear Word Adult Coloring Books are becoming more and more popular as they allow
struggling adults to get in touch with their raging inner-child in every difficult situation.

32. Hi! I hope you agree that we can and should ‘make
play the new running’.
I am a Brand Strategy Pathfinder specialised in
Italy and CEE markets.
I research and interpret cultural patterns,
discover consumer insights,
anticipate business needs, envision brand and
communication strategies.
I inspire and amplify creativity,
enable and deploy talent for innovation.
If you are interested in working together please contact me:
via e-mail ludmillakiss2@gmail.com
via linked-in h"ps://it.linkedin.com/in/milla-­‐kiss-­‐4637485
via Skype millakiss.ontheroad