Forsman & Bodenfors Launches World’s First Dance Video with 10.000 Steps

'Dance 10.000' is a global campaign created to inspire children and young people to move, while at the same time highlighting the problems and consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. With a unique music video featuring a choreographed dance with the 10.000 steps often referred to as the daily recommendation for physical activity, the campaign has already sparked positive conversations.

Behind the campaign is the Swedish non-profit organisation Generation Pep, founded by the Swedish Crown Princess Couple and headed by former Olympic heptathlon champion Carolina Klüft. Their vision is that all children and young people should have the ability and desire to live an active and healthy life.

“We know that children and young people in many countries don’t get enough exercise, a trend that unfortunately seems to have worsened during the pandemic. But the important thing isn’t the exact number of steps or 10.000 steps in particular, but to get moving a little every day. Every step counts”, said Carolina Klüft, operations manager at Generation Pep.

The unique music video shows a young girl who immediately starts moving to a music beat as she wakes up in her room. She dances her way out on the streets, down into the subway, and into school before she heads home again. As the film ends back in her room, the on-screen step counter finally reaches 10.000.

"Today, physical activity is mostly associated to sports, power walks and running. Things that not all children and teenagers find appealing. With this campaign, we want to show that physical activity can be pretty much anything, performed anywhere. We want to communicate the importance of being active but most of all inspire people and show that exercising can be loads of fun”, said Marcus Hägglöf, creative at Forsman & Bodenfors.

The hero of the film is played by french nine-year-old dancing prodigy Lilyana Ilunga. The daughter of former professional soccer player Hérita N'Kongolo Ilunga has been dancing since her early years and is today training for Sabrina Lonis, France’s top dance choreographer. 

“I can relate very easily to the story of this young girl who can’t help moving around and dancing. I’m very unhappy when I can’t dance, especially these days”, said Lilyana Ilunga.

Dancer and choreographer Sabrina Lonis is well known for her work for major television productions and big events. She also took on the task of creating the choreography for the Dance 10.000 campaign. 

“The main challenge was to find a choreography that would be challenging and fun, but also inspiring for young generations. I would be so happy if this choreo inspired young people to move and dance”, said Sabrina Lonis.

The music in the video is a new version of the 2007 hit song D.A.N.C.E. by French EDM duo Justice, made specifically for the video. Adding to that, one of the band’s members, Gaspard Augé, makes an unexpected surprise cameo appearance as the school janitor, performing a dance battle with the young girl in the school’s gymnasium.

According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, childhood obesity is one of the most serious global public health challenges of the 21st century, affecting every country in the world. In just 40 years, the number of school-age children and adolescents with obesity has risen more than 10-fold, from 11 million to 124 million (2016 estimates). Besides, an estimated 216 million were classified as overweight but not obese in 2016. The condition also affects younger children, with over 38 million children aged under 5 living with overweight or obesity in 2017.

The global awareness campaign consists of several videos and tutorials that will help inspire young children and young people to dance, as well as educate the general public and decision-makers on the issue and what can be done to improve the situation.

“The entire society needs to be committed to improving the health of children and young people. It’s our responsibility as grownups, no matter if we’re parents, politicians, teachers, or company leaders. We owe it to the young generation to give them the possibility and will to lead an active and healthy life”, said Carolina Klüft.

The campaign is created entirely pro bono by several individuals and agencies. The creative idea and campaign planning is made by creative collective Forsman & Bodenfors in Sweden, and the campaign film is shot by music video director Filip Nilsson and photographer Mattias Rudh. Post-production is made by Swiss and Company 3, and to activate the campaign, Verizon Media, Social Zense and several influencers have participated.