The Campaign

In Sri Lanka, lots of people, ride lots of buses, lots of times, everyday. This makes buses ideal for spreading germs. Asiri Hospitals, one of the country largest healthcare providers, as part of its commitment to improve health across the nation, wanted to do more than just educate people about it – it wanted to do something about it and bring strong attention to the issue. Since most public toilets in Sri Lanka don’t have soap, we created the world’s first Soap Bus Ticket. Using paper fused with soap, special ticket rolls were developed. Now, when passengers boarded a bus, they didn’t just receive a disposable ticket, they received a ticket they could use to protect themselves from any germs they may have picked up by simply washing their hands. The Soap Bus Ticket rolls were used on some of Sri Lanka’s busiest routes. Posters and signboards educating and informing people were put up inside buses, and announcements about the ticket and the importance of washing your hands, were made at every major stop. Promotional and educational material was also used at bus stops, public stations and at Asiri Hospitals themselves.

The Brief

With the country going through a period of rapid development, healthcare is becoming an increasingly competitive category. Asiri Hospitals wanted to show, as part of their commitment to improving health across the nation, that they were genuine and were also an innovative and modern brand.

Results

The Soap Bus Ticket was a unique innovation that had a significant impact on Sri Lankans from all walks of life. It not only educated them but encouraged them to start a positive habit that stopped germs and kept them safe.

Execution

The campaign began by working closely with a paper company to develop soap-infused paper that could be used in a bus conductor’s ticket machine. We then worked with a bus operator to test the paper as well as to get it on buses along with material informing and educating travellers. We also worked with relevant authorities to get material posted at bus stops and public toilets. The campaign was finally executed as planned during the traditional Sri Lankan New Year period, where tickets were given out to all travellers.

The Situation

Washing your hands – it can prevent everything from a common cold to the flu to serious illnesses like hepatitis. Asiri Hospitals, one of Sri Lanka’s largest healthcare providers, knows this better than most. As part of its commitment to improving health across the nation, it wanted others to know it too. In Sri Lanka, lots of people, ride lots of buses, lots of times, every day. This makes buses ideal for spreading germs. But instead of just educating people about it, Asiri Hospitals wanted to do something about it.

The Strategy

Asiri Hospitals, as one of the nation’s largest healthcare providers, has facilities that cater to Sri Lankans from all walks of life, many of whom travel by bus. Asiri Hospitals wanted to reach out to new and existing customers, to show that they genuinely cared about the health of Sri Lankans and were also an innovative and modern brand. The Soap Bus Ticket gave passengers on some of the country’s busiest bus routes a soup-infused ticket they could keep and use to wash their hands after their trip. This helped protect them from germs and kept them safe.