Right in the middle of Amsterdam on the Dam square passers-by could experience the positive effect of exercise on lungs. The European Respiratory Society (ERS) wanted to attract attention to the annual congress in the RAI and communicate this message to a large target group in an interactive and fun but also effective way. Passers-by were challenged to bike as fast as they could in order to get a set of giant lungs in healthy condition. Four typically Dutch bikes were placed in a semicircle; using sensors the speed of each participant was measured real-time. LED strips in front of each participant showed how well they were doing and added a competitive element to the experience.
As participants were biking the lungs would inflate and become larger and healthier looking. The faster the participants would bike, the quicker the lungs would inflate. As soon as the lungs were completely inflated the winner was announced after which hostesses had a chance to inform participants about the effects of exercise on the quality of lungs. The installation offered an impactful way to bring across a message to a large audience. The physical and competitive element attracted and retained attention to an otherwise intangible subject.