The Campaign

Typhoon Haiyan destroyed entire communities in the central Philippine provinces of Samar and Leyte. Months after the devastation, water supply in all affected areas was limited and sporadic. Recognizing the community’s determination to rebuild regardless of government or external aid, Surf initiated the construction of a filtering facility to help restore its water supply. Repurposing the abundant debris material after the typhoon, the facility harvested rain and gray water for washing clothes, so that whatever limited supply of fresh water there is can be used for the more essential need for drinking and cooking. The project was a significant step in getting the community back on track. An average 50 households in the community benefited from the facility, generating some 450 liters of recycled water daily. In many ways Surf was able to make every drop of water count, for less than the average cost of a primetime TV placement.

The Brief

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.

Results

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.

Execution

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. 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.

The Situation

Typhoon Haiyan destroyed entire communities in the central Philippine provinces of Samar and Leyte. Rehabilitation was painfully slow. Months after the devastation, basic services have not been restored. The aftermath of the typhoon led to a scarcity of water for drinking, cooking, bathing and clothes washing. Water being a basic and urgent need and directly linked with laundry products that constitute a key pillar in Unilever's business, it was manifestly clear that water--its conservation and responsible use--should be the focus of the project, and a PR campaign was one of the ways Unilever saw fit to deliver this message.

The Strategy

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 by Typhoon Haiyan, it was an opportunity to help the affected areas rehabilitate. Families living there are mostly farmers and fishermen, and in the aftermath of the typhoon, their means of livelihood were severely crippled. We launched Surf Labahan providing accessible clean water resource for washing their clothes and having a conducive area to bond together.