Later Vaper Arcade

Getting immersive

Protect Your Breath is a campaign that aims to reduce vaping harm for young people by anchoring itself in the realities and ideas of rangatahi.

After the first phase of the campaign rollout, we wanted to offer an immersive experience – a physical space which could pop-up all around the motu that would engage young people in some of the ideas behind the campaign.

Beyond two dimensions

During the development process for the Protect Your Breath campaign as a whole, we worked closely with our team of co-designers, the Hā Collective. It became clear that connecting with our audience in memorable and thought-provoking ways would be key.

During this phase we also discovered and discussed concepts of breath and breathing from within Te Ao Māori. We held wānanga with tohunga who helped us uncover pūrakau and concepts connected to the underlying themes of Protect Your Breath. Through these wānanga we found that the conceptual thread of ‘hau’, or vitality, wove together the inherent importance of breath in all we are.

Game Strategy

Having introduced the Protect Your Breath campaign via various media channels in the first phase of the campaign, in the second phase there was a significant opportunity in taking the campaign messages beyond the two-dimensional space of out-of-home placements and into the real world.

We decided that a central aspect of the second phase of the campaign rollout would be a pop-up space where our messages could be structured around a series of games. This space could be taken to high-visibility areas and places where rangatahi came together, such as malls and festivals.

When planning how this space could be structured, we returned to the conceptual cycle of hā (breath), au (self), hau (vitality) and hauhā (exhalation. This became strategic and creative scaffolding; ideas that were used throughout the campaign and also to shape of the participants’ journey throughout the arcade.

Putting the idea on its feet

The Later Vaper Arcade is a playful real-world experience; a flexible pop-up that is hosted in various locations across the motu.

The experience is a bright, bold and unmissable interactive space that purposely piques curiosity of the passer-by and draws them in. Once inside, participants are challenged with fun games that metaphorically reference breath and fresh air, and playfully posit thought starters about vaping and its effects. As people move through the experience they actively gather provocations and takeaways that help them to reframe their thinking on vape use.

The vivid brand is brought into the design of the space. Bright colour, steel fabrication and bold typographic skins combine to enhance our health messaging and create the feel of an Instagram trap – a space for moments our young people want to share.

The sequencing of games follows a strong narrative – from checking in with yourself, connecting to your breath, thinking about how it fuels you, finding an opportunity to find balance through breath, and using the power of play to manage stress.

Layered into this narrative is a foundational cultural framework, linking each of our games and messages to Māori conceptions of hā, progressing through: hā, au, hau and hauhā. This creates a metaphorical foundation that speaks to the breathing cycle: the power of breath, the vital essence within us, strength in self, and the value of play and release.

A breath of fresh air

The Later Vaper Arcade explodes norms around traditional health promotion. It takes a bold experiential approach and ensures that this immersive, participatory experience activates our message.

The impact of this approach has been clear in responses from rangatahi and whānau. Participants are highly engaged, spending an average of 15 minutes with activities and health messages. The arcade has also contributed to reports of a decrease in regular vaping. The ASH Y10  Snapshot Survey, November 2023 indicated a downward trend in ‘daily youth vaping rates’. ‘Regular vaping’ and ‘ever tried’ vaping decreased by a statistically significant amount for most population groups of young people.  

The Later Vaper Arcade is truly a breath of fresh air to reduce vaping harm.