Philips believes there is always a way to make life better. In early 2015 they asked, could their lighting innovations improve people’s quality of life in Uppsala, Sweden during winter’s darkness?

In February Philips permanently installed its connected LED CityTouch lighting system, illuminating Tegnérparken Playground, in the city of Uppsala north of Stockholm. In Uppsala, the sun sets just after lunch, so children here are confined indoors where physical activity is minimal. The local children now have the benefit of swinging, sliding, climbing and sledding in a well-lit outdoor environment.

For Philips, whose mission is to improve lives through innovation that truly matters to people, lighting Tegnérparken was a way to seeing the ways life is touched by its innovations locally to power broader innovations that help people globally.

Two weeks after the installation local children spend 37 percent more time in the park; 57 percent of parents reported a noticeable improvement in their children’s mood; and 43 percent reported a positive impact on their children’s sleeping patterns.

The experiment and its results were supported by a media relations campaign and was driven primarily by social media. The installation was launched with a media day, inviting local Swedish media and bloggers to the playground. Throughout the campaign social and digital media amplified communications beyond the Nordics to lighting stakeholders worldwide.

In February 2015, Philips illuminated Tegnérparken Playground in Uppsala with its connected LED lighting system Philips CityTouch. Communications were driven by social and digital media to get the word out in the community and to document the project progress to lighting stakeholders globally.

For two weeks following the installation, Philips measured the impact of the project on its primary audience – the local children. A number of well-being metrics were measured amongst a group of children at Tegnérparken Kindergarten. Under the supervision of Louise Hallin, Certified Midwife and Psychotherapist, data was gathered on play, sleep and mood patterns before and after the light installation.

The success of the campaign was determined by the results and impact on the children – all of which were overwhelmingly positive. The lights will remain as a permanent fixture, and it has made a significant difference to the lives of the people living in the community.

The Philips lighting program at Tegnérparken Playground has made a night-and-day difference with local children and their families. Under the supervision of Louise Hallin, Certified Midwife and Psychotherapist with specialized training in child and adolescent psychiatry, data was gathered on play, sleep and mood patterns before and after the light installation.

The follow-up study found that after the lighting was installed:

• Children spent 37% more time in the park.

• 57 percent of parents reported a noticeable improvement in their children’s mood.

• 43 percent reported a positive impact on their children’s sleeping patterns

The experiment has allowed Philips’ to further achieve its goal of meeting people, exploring places, and seeing the ways life is touched by its innovations at a local level as a power-switch for other innovations to help people globally.