The Wii Fit is going to be a game changer.  Mine arrived last week and already I can see that this little game has the potential to change how people view staying fit and healthy.  The reasons are simple:

1. Fun…Easy as that:  Motivation to keep going has always been the biggest barrier to overcome with exercise.  Wii Fit takes care of that hurdle by making exercise not seem like exercise at all (kinda like Dance Dance Revolution a few years ago). 
2. Measureability and Accountability:  The key to a good exercise routine is tracking your progress.  I’ve never been able to get myself to do that.  But Wii Fit takes care of it for me with the Daily Body Tests.  Now I know how I am doing and it calls me out if I skip a day
3. Education:  When most of us start exercising, we don’t consult a personal trainer (or even a doctor for that matter).  Wii Fit recognizes that and builds education and correction into the game.  It tells you that your body weight can fluctuate throughout the day so you should do your test at the same time.  And it corrects your posture in yoga so you are doing the exercises the way you were meant to (a real yoga teacher cant even do that!).
4. Challenges:  Humans are competitive by nature, especially anyone that grew up playing video games.  We want to get the high score, unlock the next game, etc.  Wii Fit recognizes this and rewards you by giving you new games and workouts the more you play.  I watched my girlfiend play it for over 2 hours the other night just because she was getting so excited about each game she unlocked.  That is real motivation for exercise!

I just wonder how long it will be before people recognize this potential.  When will the first school order a few Wii Fits for their PE class?  Or when will the first gym create a Wii Fit class (or even, when will the first Wii Fit gym open)?  And will brands try to leverage the power of Wii Fit like Nike did with the iPod for Nike +?  The opportunities are endless.  The trend of consumers wanting a healthy lifestyle isnt going away and Nintendo of all people just made it that much easier for them to live just a little bit better.

I recently I came across a brand whose concept I just love, Help Remedies. The brand is taking what Method did for Home Care (and now Personal Care) and applying the concept to Health Care.  The company is bringing simple, yet elegant packaging/design to health care products, while using a singular benefit such as “help, I have a headache.” I love this concept and their tag line of ”Everyone needs a little help from time to time.”  The company goes on to explain their concept further on their About Us page with the following:

While some health problems are large, complicated and frightening, most aren’t the end of the world. A kind word and a little help can get you on your way again.

Help Remedies was created to make solving simple health issues simple. We find the best solution there is, and take away everything else. By stripping away some of the complexity and fear mongering of the health industry, we hope to make the category friendlier and more accessible, and in doing so empower people to make their own health decisions.

We think a little help, honesty and kindness will go a long way.

I think the brilliance of this idea is really in the simplicity.  Health Care doesnt need to be complicated but we have made it this way.  There is a growing trend of DIY Doctor (coined in MicroTrends) and brands like Help will be able to capitalize in a big way.  And it will be easy for them to expand with Help, I have heartburn (watch out Tums) or Help I have chapped lips (watch out Blistex).  The opportunities are endless for this brand….I just hope P&G’s M&A group has their eye on these guys!