The fun theory and its role in sustainability of the brand

At the end of 2009, Volkswagen and the creative agency DDB lunched a successful environmental and community advertising campaign in the form of a human behavior modification initiative, and called it "The Fun Theory". The fun theory depends mainly on one simple concept; fun is the easiest way to change people behavior for the better, whether such change is beneficial for the recipient or the community, what really matters is the positive change for the behavior. In order to achieve this, Volkswagen lunched an interactive creative campaign among people in the open environment, which proves positive results for behavior modification. The campaign has spread through a large number of online videos and high-profile views; however, the company did not mention its name or logo during this initiative, but only mentioned some advertising words at the end of the video posted on the website "Initiative of Volkswagen". The initiative was successful in connecting the community side with the brand; opening the way for many companies to take advantage of using fun in the design and behavior modification.
One of the campaign major characteristics was not only its obvious success in modifying behavior, but also the successful exploitation of the environment and the public in an interactive manner, individually and collectively, whereas the campaign stimulated the feeling of encouragement, participation and success in modifying behavior through fun and frolic. The most important results of this campaign, in accordance with the advertising agency, are the real and positive change in behavior, raising awareness of the environmental and society values adopted by the company, promoting the Volkswagen environmental program, supporting the vision and mission of the organizational brand in the environmental and community sustainability, and raising the sales of the company, as the care promoted by the company has become the top-selling environmental car.
Furthermore, behavior modification has become a major concern for the companies tend to redirect their goals with respect to promoting welfare and moving towards sustainability, not only through the economic and environmental sides, but also through the social side represented in the social responsively, which involves satisfying human needs, enhancing and appreciating society and modifying human behavior.
The concept of the brand is no longer just about the symbolic and intellectual framework, so the modern concept has developed to cover the entire lifestyle, and the brand has become one of change powerful tools involved deeply and effectively in the daily life and choices of customers. Therefore, companies that have a strong and successful brand, and followed by a large number of loyal customers, have the ability to modify and even make a total transformation in the customers' lifestyle, value system, attitudes and behavior.
Therefore, the organizations pursuit in applying the concept of sustainability can be shown up through its brand. Hence, Sustainability has become a characteristic of the brand realizing sustainable practices provided by the organization for the public, whether such practices were environmental practices as the green products and environmentally friendly brand (Green brand) , or community practices represented in the social responsibility through contributing to provide basic human needs, contributing to the positive behavioral change and other sustainable practices preferred by the public and provided by the company for a long time.
The problem of the research is to answer the following questions;

What is the fun theory?
What is its role in modifying behavior?
How it could be used to serve the brand sustainability?

The research assumes that companies adopting the fun theory through designs that brings about fun and reactivity in order to modify human behavior, contribute to the sustainability of the brand an create a sustainable community and human value.
The research aims at outlining the effectiveness of the fun theory and its impact on the human behavior, and urging the companies and the organizations, especially the governmental ones, that are striving to change the behaviors of the society to make use of this theory in the community problems that require modification of personal behaviors.
Research methodology: The descriptive methodology accompanied by an analysis of various experiences made by Volkswagen for the fun theory and its impact on the recipient behaviors and the brand.
Research tools:

Arabic and forging books and references,
Arabic and forging scientific research, both published and unpublished ones
Websites.

Research limitations:

Objective limitations: fun theory- the brand sustainability.
Time limitations: the fun theory has begun in 2009 and still used until today and spread in many countries of the world.

Results and Discussion

Sustainability issues are inherently complex. But the brands that have inspired the most positive behavior change resist the urge to over-communicate. So Fun theory was a successful and beneficial environmental and community campaign for changing human behavior. It was a sustainable idea that last well beyond initial exposure and that people will continue to talk about and build on for years to come.
The interactive and human experience of the recipient through the various versions of the fun theory, and the feeling of humor that makes the recipient more understanding and more aware of the brand and vales adopted by him.
Utilizing the fun theory in order to make positive change to the human and society behaviors, that contributes to the creation of human and community values, with regard to the brand so that it can be sustainable values.
The effective contribution to the modification of the human behavior for the individual and the society that enhances the brand mental image to the public and adds an extra value and competitive advantage to the brand.

The best strategy for the sustainability of the brand is that the organization strategic plan shall include the sustainability issue among the objectives, philosophy and values of the organization, so that it can guide the organizational performance and behavior towards different aspects of sustainability in accordance with its activity. This affects the public trust in the organization, as what the organization believes shall be what it is really practices, whether in relation to the, environmental or social practices, which results in increasing the customers' loyalty to the company and confidence in the brand.