DR LIFEBOUY

Short List
TitleDR LIFEBOUY
BrandUNILEVER
Product / ServiceLIFEBUOY
CategoryB02. Fast Moving Consumer Goods
EntrantMINDSHARE Singapore, SINGAPORE
Advertising Agency TURNER BROADCASTING SYSTEM ASIA PACIFIC Hong Kong, HONG KONG
Media Agency MINDSHARE Singapore, SINGAPORE
Entrant Company MINDSHARE Singapore, SINGAPORE

Credits

Name Company Position
Abhishek Gupta Mindshare Asia Pacific Director Client Leadership

Results and Effectiveness

Dr Lifebuoy became an instant hit, with results positively indicating children are washing hands more frequently. In India, Lifebouy market share increased by over 5% in the two months following the Dr Lifebouy series - in Pakistan an over 2% increase - indicating more products are now being used to wash away dangerous germs - more often. The campaign delivered awareness/market share gains - and positioned the brand as the go-to hand wash to prevent disease. Dr Lifebuoy is now being rolled out globally - teaching children the importance of hand washing, and helping them reach the age of five.

Creative Execution

Lifebouy partnered to produce the 'Dr Lifebuoy' five-part short-film series each with different characters/heroes. The aim was to immerse the brand message in the children's entertainment world, and to appear as a cartoon, rather than advertising. The ads aired around mealtime and playtime; after school, in the holidays and at the weekend. The films were strategically placed during the ad breaks of the cartoons that the featured the same characters. For example the Tom & Jerry sketch was shown in the break of the Tom & Jerry Cartoon, continuing the children’s enjoyment of their favourite shows, and driving stronger engagement with the important message. Kids love to laugh and watch cartoons and without realizing it they’re learning how to protect themselves from dangerous diseases. 'Dr Lifebuoy’s' uniqueness comes from not just the simple and effective strategy, but in the seamless execution - making it an instant success with the children.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Sadly over two million children don’t live to see their fifth birthday because of diseases like Diarrhea and Cholera, caused by lack of hygiene. But how do you encourage young children to do something they don’t want to do? When Lifebouy created a new hand wash that kills 99.9% of germs in just 10 seconds, they pledged to change the hand washing habits of a billion people by 2015 - and save lives. The strategy was simple: Make it fun! Lifebouy partnered with the Cartoon Network to develop Dr Lifebuoy, a fun, 3D animated hand puppet, who appears with characters like Tom & Jerry, Ben 10 and Chota Bheem - in an entertaining/educational five-part series - teaching children about the importance of washing their hands 5 times a day. Each film focused on a different vital moment for children to wash their hands.