Brief Explanation

The challenge was to create a positive social or environmental impact utilizing the power of a Unilever brand and develop the idea with a focus on one of three objectives: Improving health and wellbeing, reducing environmental impact, and enhancing livelihoods. Unilever was looking for any vehicle or channel that can be used to make a positive difference. We constructed Surf Labahan, a filtration system that recycles grey water using debris left behind by typhoon Haiyan. Typhoon Haiyan destroyed entire communities in the central Philippine provinces of Samar and Leyte, and water supply in all affected areas was limited and sporadic.

Results and Effectiveness

34% of the community of Barangay Union Coastal in Mayorga, Tacloban changed their laundry habits to make grey water usable again. This project also enhanced the brand’s environmental credentials and created a situation that was conducive to greater product usage. The mothers and the people in the community were provided with an accessible basic need which is a clean source of water for washing clothes. It has affected public perception more deeply than any paid advertisement or simple press releases.

Creative Execution

A needs assessment concluded that a water filtration facility was not only needed and readily implementable using local materials and minimal resource, it was more importantly sustainable and beneficial to the community and the environment for the long term. Surf Labahan generates approximately 153 liters of recycled water per day for laundry use, so the limited supply of fresh water could be used for drinking and cooking instead. With simple technology, Surf was able to make every drop of water count, making laundry sustainable, one wash at a time.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Typhoon Haiyan destroyed entire communities in the Central Philippines. Water supply in all affected areas was limited and sporadic. Families living there are mostly farmers and fishermen, and in the aftermath of the typhoon, their means of livelihood were severely crippled. The marketing plan started on the fourth quarter of 2013 and went through research where to do the pilot installation. When the area of Tacloban was hit hard, it was an opportunity to help the affected areas rehabilitate. We launched Surf Labahan providing accessible clean water resource for washing their clothes and having a conducive area to bond together.