The Campaign

“Everyone deserves the touch of care.” This touch of care is immensely powerful, and can transform someone’s life. Especially since the act of caring is arguably even more giving and more selfless, because it is an act born from a conscious decision. Vicks’ point of view is that everyone deserves to be cared for, and to care for someone in return, regardless of background, social norms or stereotypes. We wanted to show the power of the touch of care through a real-life story that resonated with the Philippine people.

Creative Execution

We posted the film on the Vicks Philippines social media pages, and supplemented this with a limited amount of paid media on the social media platforms. Our hope was that Hernando’s story would resonate with our Filipino audience, and lead to them sharing it organically. Hernando’s story of redemption and transformation was meant to be a message of hope and provide uplifting respite, especially against the backdrop of fear and apprehension in the Philippines. We took it further by starting the Touch of Care Fund in collaboration with Save the Children, a non-profit organisation that sought to help street children in the Philippines. For every bottle of Vicks purchased, 1 peso would go to the fund. In this way, we also allowed everyone to let their own touch of care make a difference.

The film captivated Filipinos instantly, with almost 16+ million views (50% organic) in just 1 month. At present, the film has reached at least 34 million people with 32 million pesos (USD620k) worth of earned media. Consideration of Vicks grew by 22%, showing more people were interested in the brand just a month after the film’s launch. Even interest in the featured product, Vicks BabyRub, increased seven-fold. Total sales of Vicks products increased by 70%, without any other campaigns in the market. Moreover, Vicks gained a more meaningful connection. It is once again part of the popular conversation - from netizens, celebrities, local and international media to even film critics, all praising Vicks’ progressive message. Finally, with the Vicks Touch of Care fund, the brand aims to create more second chances for Philippine children in need. VICKS -- no longer ‘mom’s choice’ … or ‘mine’ -- but a people’s.

To change perspectives, make people think, and build rich, meaningful connections with our consumers requires communication that is much more than just an ad. We needed to harness the power and value of engaging content to reach people and touch them in a way that only popular art can. It was intended to be cinematic, heartfelt and human, capturing the realities of the Philippines slums while showing the lows and highs of the human spirit. Only by making it a film that resonates with people, would they be compelled to watch it, talk about it and share it.

In 2016, Vicks developed a new campaign platform – Touch of Care. Care is timeless, ever-powerful and our ultimate difference as a brand. The core message of Touch of Care is to celebrate the transformative power of care, and the impact it can have on one’s life. In a competitive landscape where others prioritized messages of efficiency and strength, Vicks had to show category leadership by reinforcing its message of care. In the real-world backdrop of the Philippines, with widespread poverty, zero tolerance and high tension, the true story of a street tough caring for an abandoned baby helped to re-establish Vicks as a brand, and encouraged every Filipino to make their world a more caring place.