MAGICAL SOAP DISPENSER

Short List
TitleMAGICAL SOAP DISPENSER
BrandKAO
Product / ServiceKAO CORPORATE BRANDING
CategoryD02. Sponsorship & Partnerships
EntrantDENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
Idea Creation DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
Media DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
PR DENTSU INC. Tokyo, JAPAN
Production DENTSU CREATIVE X Tokyo, JAPAN
Production 2 MELODY PUNCH Tokyo, JAPAN
Contributing KAO CORPORATION Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Name Company Position
Haruhiko Kimura Kao Marketing Communication Director
YutakaTajimi Kao Chief Creative Officer
Misako Kishi Kao Creative Director
Shingo Sakai Kao Marketing Communication Manager
Kiyoaki Okita Kao Client Producer
Tomoko Kanezaki DENTSU INC. Creative Director
Satoshi Atoda DENTSU INC. Account Director
Kumi Ishizuki DENTSU INC. Copywriter
Michiko Sukai DENTSU INC. Copywriter
Kozai Nagatomo DENTSU INC. Copywriter
Kazuko Marubashi DENTSU INC. Art Director
Isao Yamazaki DENTSU INC. Agency Producer
Ayu Sasaki DENTSU INC. Strategy & Communication Design Planner
Takao Hirayama DENTSU INC. Account Manager
Satoshi Kameyama Free Director
Hiroki Ando Free Cinematographer
Shinichi Matsuda Dentsu Creative X Inc. Executive Producer
Takuji Okamoto Dentsu Creative X Inc. Film Producer
Toyoshige Inose Dentsu Creative X Inc. Film Producer
Toshihiko Ohoka Dentsu Creative X Inc. Casefilm Director

The Campaign

Washing hands is a big interest for all moms globally, and one of the most simple and effective health rituals to protect children. In Japan, 98% of moms wish to make this habit stick to their children, but only a few wash their hands proactively. Our idea was to create a new experience out of Kao’s 3D hand soap technology that intuitively delivers the joy of washing hands, at the most exciting place for all children -Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea. We developed a soap dispenser that bubbles out 3D Mickey Mouse shaped soap, and installed this across the park.

Creative Execution

On July 1st 2015, Kao became an official sponsor of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea, and launched the “Magical Soap Dispenser”. We installed 73 Mickey Mouse 3D soap dispensers across the park. The Mickey Mouse shaped soap was designed to be a medium to deliver a special hand washing experience, and suitable to be shared via social media. We announced “The Magical Soap Dispenser” in the press event, TV commercials, out-of-home media, and websites. It was introduced as the “new amusement of Tokyo Disney Resort”in various media, including TV programmes, Newspapers, and websites. Selfies of Mickey Mouse shaped soap fueled the excitement across Japan.

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

The news of the new park amusement immediately spread all across Japan. Everyday, a long queue was developed in front of the dispenser for weeks after the launch. “The Magical Soap Dispenser” was picked up in more than 20 TV shows, 13 Newspapers, 148 websites, and fired social conversation in social media. Within half a month, 1/3 of the entire Japanese population (20s-60s) knew about “The Magical Soap Dispenser”. Moms and kids reacted the most. Kao’s corporate likeability raised by 74%, and purchase intention of Kao products raised by 224%. Moreover, 46% of moms felt that there was a change in hand washing attitudes of their children after experiencing the soap dispenser. In fact, 1 out of 7 kids keeps the new habit and enjoys washing their hands even at home, and 72% of mothers replied that it will reduce the stress of scolding their kids about washing hands.

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

The development of “The Magical Soap Dispenser” was not about forcing audiences to hear good stories about Kao. It was about designing an enjoyable experience that people would naturally become willing to participate. Especially when it comes to children, entertainment is even more important. This work demonstrates how we have brought excitement back to a commoditized market, by promoting a fun and special hand washing experience. It has also leveraged Kao’s sponsorship to Tokyo Disney Resort into a social conversation, supporting Kao to regain brand advocacy among a wide range of consumers.

Through designing an engaging interaction out of Kao’s technology of 3D soap, our strategy was to regain attention and brand advocacy among 20-30s young moms and their kids. To address our target effectively, Kao became an official sponsor of Tokyo Disney Resort. Every year, more than 30 million people visit Tokyo Disney Resort, and the park is especially popular among young families. We collaborated with Tokyo Disney Resort, and launched a new park amusement “The Magical Soap Dispenser”, aiming to provide a fun and engaging hand washing experience that triggers proactive hand washing.