50% of New Zealand homes are too cold and damp, falling below World Health Organisation standards. As a result, 1 in 6 Kiwis suffer from respiratory diseases, with children among the worst affected. ANZ Bank's Healthy Homes Initiative offered interest-free loans for insulation and heating. But faced with a culture used to ‘toughing it out’ over winter, we had to make people realise that their homes could be harming their health.
Instead of a plastic digital gadget, we created a world-first by programming one of earth's most abundant materials - wood. As kids are most affected by unhealthy homes, they were at the forefront of every design decision. From his core behaviour (blue face to show cold, horns pointing up as a warning), to his name ('hum' for humidity, 'freez' for cold), and his rhyming message to help kids learn about the subject.
An integrated launch campaign generated a massive response from customers, government agencies and NGOs. Most importantly, Mr Humfreez has entered Kiwi classrooms as a teaching tool for the next generation.
