Why is this work relevant for PR?

To preserve its image as a positive trusted hygiene brand, Lifebuoy avoided fear-mongering as a tactic. Instead of painting a grim vision of PM2.5 negative impacts on the environment & humans, the brand opted to craft a relatable story yet informative through PR in combination with other channels to engage the whole country and motivate them to become a hero themselves in the fight against PM2.5.

Background

In 2016, Vietnam was in the top 11 countries that exceeded the level of pollution safety limit in research conducted by Yale University. “Natural ingredients” is the most welcomed trend in personal care. “Natural” can mean “gentle”, “mild” or “eco-friendly” yet Lifebuoy Nature is a nature-extracted hygiene offering, formulated to prevent skin infection issues – especially those caused by PM2.5. But the problem was, most of the people didn’t realize, or believe that they were directly harmed by this type of pollutant. The campaign’s objective is firstly to create awareness about the serious impact of PM2.5, thus generating the demand for Lifebuoy Nature range as the 1st pollution-detox body wash in Vietnam all the while fortifying its core proposition as a hygiene brand that prioritizes consumers’ health.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

On giving shape to the seemingly invisible PM2.5, we steered clear off the beaten path of threatening consumers with harmful effects or diseases incited by fine dust. Instead, we decided on a more light-hearted approach, injecting the visualization of fine dust into every crook and corner of life to create an authentic yet educational photo editorial on news and social media. Fine dust was also visualized via an on-ground PR

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Insight: Misperceptions such as “PM2.5 only existed in dusty industrial environments” or “My clothing is enough to protect me from PM2.5” also play a part in diverting the threat. However, at 1% of the human pore size, PM2.5 can easily slip through fabric fibers and reach our skin & respiratory systems, harming our health. Key message: Unlike threats that we can see, touch or smell, PM2.5 is an invisible killer that is dangerous to our health. Let’s join hands with Lifebuoy to detox yourself and the nation from PM2.5 now! Target audiences: Millennials females & males in urban areas with high pollution levels. Creation and distribution of assets: 1. SET UP THE FOUNDATION FOR CHANGE 2. TURN INFORMATION INTO BRAND SAY’S IMPACTFUL STORIES AT 3. ESTABLISH & OWN #DETOXPM2.5 PLATFORM AS A MEANINGFUL “BRAND DO

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Lifebuoy highlighted the concern for air pollution via expert voices in health, environment & social sectors, e.g. NGOs, NPOs, Student Association as well as Governmental bodies. The sentiment is later echoed in PR articles to further publicize this environmental concern. Lifebuoy first created The Baby Dust as a creative visual approach to portrait PM2.5 as a real-life demonstration that leading them to our PR stories which elaborate with scientific-based information. Lifebuoy collaborated with a fashion designer to introduce a clothing line inspired by PM2.5 – “The Unwearable Collection”. Using various garment texture & forms, the design highlighted different sources of pollution particles – from the street, from open flames,... to illustrate how common & easy it is to be exposed to this threat in daily life. The movement was also uplifted by PR to optimize this into a trend with #DetoxFromPM2.5.

List the results (30% of vote)

Through the intensive usage of PR, the campaign achieved its objective of educating the targeted publics about the existence, health, and environmental impacts of PM2.5, thus playing a key role in changing their attitude and behavior towards this new-found pollutant. By stringing a consistent and insightful message via multiple channels, e.g. social media, publicity stunt, influencers..., the campaign successfully captured the audience and thoroughly convince them about the important role of skin detoxing. As a result, the campaign incited a positive change wave in the target public, directing them towards better health and environmental concerns. It generated 585K total interactions, attracted over 39.3K unique audience, and created 116,439 buzzes with 6,878 buzzes for UGC. The choice of positive approach and strategy also landed Lifebuoy in the top 10 Social campaigns in August 2019 with the sentiment score reaching the highest peak at 1.0. The proficient combination of content, format & channels acquired the campaign 104,771 buzz in a month. In terms of communication value, the campaign achieved 3,408,630,387 VND with ROI reaching 374% and successfully launched Lifebuoy Nature range as an effective solution to detox skins from PM2.5. Environmentally, 30,000 trees were planted as a forest shield against PM2.5 and 3+ tree walls erected in crowded cities from September 2019 to February 2020 for a greener, healthier Vietnam!