Case Study - Games4Life – Change4Life Olympic summer activation
An Olympic‑year national activation within Change4Life from the UK Department of Health – mobilising families to get active through a simple activity check questionnaire, personalised action packs, and multi‑channel distribution across schools, communities, and retail partners. Delivered at government scale with measurable outcomes.
- Client
- Games4Life
- Year
- Service
- Frontend Development, User Interface Design, Interactive Web Forms
Overview
Games4Life was launched in June 2012 by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley as a targeted campaign within the broader Change4Life initiative, designed to capitalize on the excitement of the Olympic year's unprecedented summer of sport. With over 1,200 hours of sport on TV (averaging 13 hours daily), the government identified both an opportunity and a challenge: while 93% of the population planned to watch sporting events, research showed concerning behaviors including excessive snacking, alcohol consumption, and takeaway ordering while viewing.
The Games4Life activation sat within Change4Life’s nationwide programme – strategically timed around Euro 2012, Wimbledon, the London 2012 Olympics, and Paralympics – to transform passive sports consumption into active participation. The initiative aimed to get the nation "up off the sofa" through a simple activity check questionnaire, a tailored activity pack for families, and easy ways to get moving.
The front‑end challenge was to create the user interface that would power this Olympic summer activation: engineering clear, accessible user journeys from questionnaire to personalised action packs, and creating responsive interfaces that worked seamlessly across all digital channels and devices. Working with Lateral Group, we built the front‑end experience that enabled users to engage with the Department of Health's Olympic activation, integrating with the broader Change4Life digital ecosystem including the Fun Generator mobile app.
The Games4Life campaign aimed to transform Olympic viewing excitement into real physical activity – getting people off the sofa and onto bikes, into parks, and engaged with sports.
What we did
- Interactive questionnaire interface
- Responsive web design
- Form validation & UX
- Frontend user interface
- Mobile‑first design
- Cross‑browser compatibility
- Accessibility standards
- Frontend performance
- User experience design
- Interface components
Campaign approach
The Department of Health's approach was to design a simple, inclusive journey that met people where they were during the Olympic summer – on TV, online, in schools, and in local communities – and convert attention into action with clear prompts and tailored follow‑ups. Our front‑end development focused on creating the user interface that would make this digital vision accessible to families.
- Responsive interface design.
Created responsive front‑end interfaces that worked seamlessly across devices and browsers, ensuring consistent user experience during the high‑attention Olympic period.
- Interactive questionnaire interface.
Built the front‑end questionnaire interface with real‑time form validation and user feedback, optimising the user experience to reduce drop‑off rates and guide families through the assessment process.
- Accessible user experience.
Designed user‑friendly forms and clear navigation flows with family‑friendly language and intuitive interaction patterns that encouraged questionnaire completion and made the process feel engaging and accessible.
Campaign execution
The activity check & tailored packs
The centrepiece of the Games4Life campaign was a simple, family‑friendly assessment that produced personalised activity packs – practical ideas for getting active at home, in the park, or at school. We built the front‑end interface for this user journey, optimising for clarity and speed to reduce drop‑off rates and enable families to complete the questionnaire easily.
The Change4Life website interface showing how families were invited to complete the activity check questionnaire – designed for clarity and ease of use to maximise participation during the Olympic summer.
Behind the scenes, careful planning and coordination ensured the campaign reached millions – from schools to community groups to retail partners – with consistent messaging and seamless delivery.
Multi‑channel delivery
Distribution was nationwide and multi‑channel: 2.6M activity packs to 7,500 schools, 4M+ questionnaires through local authorities and community partners, and retail activation with Asda, Aldi and JJB – reinforcing messages where families already were.
Inclusive access
Materials, channels and tone were designed to reduce barriers – free activities, clear language, and options that worked across devices, print, and community settings.
Part of the broader Change4Life ecosystem
Games4Life complemented ongoing Change4Life efforts such as the Fun Generator app with 100+ ideas, educational resources, and local supporter programmes – creating a coherent, reinforcing experience.
Results and impact
The Games4Life activation delivered national‑scale engagement during the 2012 summer of sport – a clear example of how well‑timed public health campaigns can convert attention into healthier habits.
- Activity packs distributed to schools
- +2.6M
- Schools reached nationwide
- +7,500
- Community questionnaires distributed
- +4M+
Why this matters for government & public sector
Games4Life shows how government can meet citizens where they are and guide them to simple, positive actions. With a clear proposition, inclusive access, and joined‑up delivery across schools, communities, retail and digital, public health campaigns can achieve national reach and measurable outcomes.
- Educational sector impact.
Created the front‑end interface that enabled families to access the questionnaire that supported delivery of 2.6 million activity packs to 7,500 schools nationwide, providing an accessible entry point for personalised recommendations during the Olympic period.
- Behaviour change at scale.
Simple assessment and personalised guidance processed over 4M user interactions, demonstrating how government campaigns can convert attention into action through clear journeys and accessible materials that work for diverse audiences.
- Multi‑sector partnerships.
Retail partnerships with ASDA, Aldi, and JJB supported campaign distribution through sports‑related offers and promotional materials, while local authorities distributed over 4 million questionnaires to community groups.
- Olympic timing strategy.
Campaign strategically launched during Euro 2012 and built momentum through Wimbledon, Olympics, and Paralympics, addressing the challenge of 1,200+ hours of TV coverage and 93% population engagement with potentially sedentary viewing habits.
The intuitive front‑end interface we built enabled families to easily engage with the campaign's questionnaire during the peak sporting summer, demonstrating how well‑designed user interfaces can support government behaviour change initiatives through accessible digital experiences. The front‑end approach we developed for Games4Life showed how clear, responsive design can help convert major cultural moments into sustained public health engagement through user‑friendly digital touchpoints.
The ultimate goal achieved: children and families engaging in fun, active play instead of sedentary Olympic viewing – turning digital engagement into real-world physical activity.