The Brief

Lux, India's biggest soap brand had introduced a colourful range. But amidst the flurry of competitive brands and new launches, Lux wanted to find a way to get people to rediscover Lux and experience the products firsthand. The challenge was to go beyond mainstream advertising.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

We decided to leverage on a special event: Holi, the annual Hindu Festival of Colours is a joyous and fun event – until it's over. Then it's not so fun when you're scrubbing your skin to remove the colours. Sometimes, they don't wash off for days. This was the perfect opportunity for Lux. So this Holi, we turned our richly coloured soap bars into finely grated powders. They were packaged to look like regular Holi colours and stocked at hundreds of stalls that sold festival supplies across the Hindu belt of the country, especially in the state of Rajasthan.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

Not only did we get talked about in the media, but Lux also successfully stepped out of the traditional supermarket and reached consumers one-on-one; allowing them to experience its products in a festive and surprising environment. No soap brand had ever thought of using the context of a centuries-old festival before. Lux plans on rolling out this activation on an even bigger scale at next year's Holi celebrations.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

• Lux did free sampling in a way that had never been done before. Besides stocking them at Holi stalls, we also distributed them on-ground at multiple Holi events in neighbourhoods and street corners. • As these Lux Holi powders were actually soap, they washed off easily, even washing off the other Holi colours. What's more, they left your skin soft and scented.