Why is this work relevant for PR?

Driven by the community’s benefits, Lifebuoy aimed to deliver real and tangible assistance in the fight against Covid-19: not simply awaken their need for handwashing but also give them ready access to hygiene facilities to support at-risk people. PR was chosen as the pillar for this campaign, as this genuine communication tool could greatly alleviate the situation since people were already on nerves being bombarded by grim news. Lifebuoy wanted to approach them through a heartfelt PR campaign in a subtle & calming way to show that the brand authentically cares for its community's physical & mental wellbeing.

Background

Vietnam was swept with shock and fear as the coronavirus pandemic hit the world with its highly contagious and life-threatening nature. As the Ministry of Health had issued its social-distancing guideline, face masks became a regular attire for the people here. However, another integral part was being forgotten by the public: hand washing. This unfortunate overlook from the mass put the community at risk of being exposed to the virus greatly. With its position as the no.1 hygiene brand in Vietnam and core belief as to the shield “one step ahead of infection”, Lifebuoy felt responsible for alerting the community about this potential breach. Thus, the brand tasked itself not only with the duty to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 through handwashing education, but also to sustain this hygienic habit among Vietnamese people as a preventative method to combat other contagious diseases.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Beyond its deadly nature, Covid-19 was also highly efficient at inducing fear, anxiety, and unrest among the public. Thus PR was chosen as the pillar for this campaign, as this genuine and heartfelt communication tool could greatly alleviate the situation since people were already on nerves being bombarded by grim news. Hence, Lifebuoy wanted to approach them through a genuine, heartfelt PR campaign in a subtle & calming way to show that the brand authentically cares for its community’s physical & mental wellbeing. “PLEASE WASH HANDS WITH ANY SOAP AVAILABLE TO FIGHT COVID-19 TOGETHER".

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Insight: Despite initial communication effort, the complicated nature of a handwashing routine was hard to remember. Even if the public has understood its importance, they couldn’t properly employ it: where to start? What are the steps? For how long should I be scrubbing? Key message: PLEASE WASH HANDS WITH ANY SOAP AVAILABLE TO FIGHT COVID-19 TOGETHER Target audiences: Mass audiences (because Covid-19 doesn’t differentiate!) Creation and distribution of assets: Lifebuoy wanted to approach them through a genuine, heartfelt PR campaign in a subtle & calming way to show that the brand authentically care for its community’s physical & mental well being with both Brand Say & Brand Do

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Lifebuoy ads reach out for life-saving by gearing up our consumers through Facebook and YouTube with an ad depicting basic F.I.G.H.T.S steps against Covid-19 and encouraging people to wash hands with any available soap. As Covid-19 could not be solved by a single brand, we set the exclusive partnership with Ministry of Health (Author of Ghen Co-Vy - a globally viral song even on US TV Show Last Week Tonight) and Vietnam Trade Union (with 10mil+ youth network across the country) to deploy the biggest Hand-wash dance contest ever and raise fund for Hand-wash facilities. We committed no individual prize but for each dance cover, 25,000VND (1USD) would be added to the fund “100 public hand-wash stations – For a healthy Vietnam”. This challenge was sparked from macro KOLs in different fields, then spread across With Corporate Social Responsibility at its core, the campaign was able to achieve many successes.

List the results (30% of vote)

Thanks to its quick response and light-hearted approach, Lifebuoy has successfully raised awareness about coronavirus prevention and handwashing as the essential part of it. But more importantly, the CSR initiative brought about a change in the handwashing habits of Vietnamese people. The program also helped people in need, making hygiene habits accessible for everyone despite their age or economic status – people who make their living on the street, a mom went out for grocery, or a student living away from their hometown – all are moved by the spirit to make Vietnam healthier together. More than 35 million people, equivalent to 1/3 of the country’s population, were reached. The instruction video of the six hand-washing steps also recorded more than 11 million viewers, creating an advantageous push for the following dance challenge, which in turn generated more than 70,000 unique, creative UGC with approximately 46,000 participants. 3,000 schools, 300 apartments & office buildings, 16,000 quarantine areas, 500 hospitals, 300 university councils, 200 supermarkets in infected cities & 15,000 in market areas in the central and the north of Vietnam have gained access to the hygiene facilities.113 provisional hand-washing stations in high-risk areas also covered the need of 11 million people, while funded stations reached 3 million students and hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese citizens in quarantine areas in the first wave of COVID-19. The initiative also earned Lifebuoy the award of Top Improver - Best Brands 2020 Vietnam by YouGov.

Please tell us how the brand purpose inspired the work

To craft a purpose-driven PR campaign that addresses the “pain points” of the society, Lifebuoy did not beat around the bush but forthrightly drive home the issue. To avoid the “trust-washing” trap of purpose-based PR, our strategy was divided into two distinct parts: Brand SAY – employing creative tactics to call the public attention to familiar social issues, and Brand DO – pioneering to take action while prompting other stakeholders to join hands with the brand so as to induce real changes. Our vision was to inspire them of a better future with a positive, feel-good message and opportunity to do good instead of stirring up more worries.