Tag: Lifebuoy

Indonesia – Lifebuoy, Unilever’s hygiene soap brand, has teamed up with MullenLowe agencies to launch a horror-comedy campaign targeting Gen Z in Indonesia. Amid record-breaking heatwaves, the campaign blends supernatural folklore with humour to promote Lifebuoy’s cooling body wash.

Developed by MullenLowe Singapore, MullenLowe Lintas Group, and MullenLowe Lintas Indonesia, the “Ketempelan Dinginnya” (“Get Possessed by Coolness”) campaign puts a playful spin on “Ketempelan,” an Indonesian term for spirits that cling to people, reimagining it through a refreshing, humorous lens.

In this campaign, “Ketempelan” is reinterpreted as the lingering sensation of heat and sweat that leads to discomfort and body odour. The campaign introduces Lifebuoy Cool Fresh and Lemon Fresh body washes, which claim to provide a 12-hour cooling effect, offering relief amid Indonesia’s extreme heat.

Parnil Sarin, global brand lead at Lifebuoy, said, “The horror genre is a favourite among Indonesians, especially the younger generation, and with the recent heat, it sometimes can feel like a nightmare. The new direction for our “Ketempelan Dinginnya” campaign underscores our brand’s commitment to remain relevant to younger, active consumers, a group who is constantly on the go and who demands freshness no matter the heat.” 

“We hope to encourage consumers to switch to Lifebuoy Cool Fresh or Lifebuoy Lemon Fresh by tapping on Gen Z’s love for humour and the supernatural while reinforcing the importance of hygiene,” Sarin added. 

The campaign rolled out across digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, alongside out-of-home activations. 

MullenLowe Singapore, MullenLowe Lintas Group, and MullenLowe Lintas Indonesia collaborated with Thai director Wuthisak Anarnkaporn and production company Factory01, infusing the film with a distinct touch of Thai humour. 

Vinay Vinayak, global business director at MullenLowe Singapore, said, “MullenLowe has been partnering with Unilever and Lifebuoy for decades. We understand that a legacy brand like Lifebuoy needs to be current and young in the way it speaks, which means breaking from tradition.” 

Vinayak continues, “Our research uncovered a culturally relevant insight—horror comedy is a popular genre among our target audience. This inspired us to take a bold leap, redefining hygiene communication with an unexpected, humorous twist. The result? Not only a fresh, engaging narrative for Lifebuoy but also a campaign that helps the brand stand out within the hygiene category.” 

Meanwhile, Sarvesh Raikar, president—creative at MullenLowe Lintas India, said, “The key task was, how does a 90-year-old speak to the 19-year-old of today? Lifebuoy? Horror? Comedy? It was indeed a scary thought and had to be executed while maintaining a fine balance between the brand and entertainment.” 

“Our director, Wuthisak Anarnkaporn, was exceptional in understanding this and helped us weave the story, keeping the brand essentials centre stage, such as the health expert and the germs—things that are fundamental to Lifebuoy’s identity. In fact, the health expert acting in the ad has been the same person for 15 years now. Except this time, he is much cooler, sporting sunglasses! ” he added. 

Singapore – Lifebuoy, Unilever’s hygiene soap brand, has teamed up with Moo Deng, the viral sensation baby pygmy hippopotamus, for its ‘H for Handwashing’ global movement, redefining the letter ‘H’ as a universal symbol for hand hygiene.

Created in collaboration with MullenLowe Singapore and MullenLowe Lintas India, the campaign features Moo Deng in her first-ever branded content video, ‘Confessions of Moo Deng.’ 

In the video, the beloved hippo humorously reveals her reluctance to follow her family’s legacy as the typical “H for Hippo” in the alphabet, preferring instead to give the letter ‘H’ a more impactful meaning for humans. Moo Deng believes she’s meant for more than just being the usual “H for Hippo.” After watching humans daily, she concludes that ‘H’ should stand for something more valuable: handwashing.

The campaign also debuts an AI-powered hippo teacher that comes to life to teach kids #HforHandwashing through interactive, personalised games, activities, and songs. Children and parents can access this engaging AI experience by scanning the QR code featured in the video.

Together with Moo Deng, Lifebuoy’s AI-Teacher Hippo marks a major step in Lifebuoy’s mission to make handwashing a lifelong habit for children worldwide. Since 2020, Lifebuoy has led the way in transforming hand hygiene education with its ‘H for Handwashing’ campaign.

Khim Yin Poh, global brand vice president at Lifebuoy said, “We are thrilled to work with the  world’s most popular and adorable hippo Moo Deng, and the most tech-savvy and loving AI Teacher Hippo, for our ‘H for Handwashing’ campaign.” 

“As the world’s number one selling germ  protection soap, Lifebuoy’s global movement aims to forever change how the alphabet is taught,  with the simple recommendation that the letter H should not stand for hippo, horse or house, but  should instead become a ubiquitous symbol for handwashing. We believe having the endorsement  of Moo Deng in her first ever branded content video will reinforce our important message for  children and adults alike, as a step towards improving handwashing behavior around the world,” Poh added. 

This Global Handwashing Day, Lifebuoy has joined forces with MullenLowe Singapore, MullenLowe Lintas India, Aircards, Microsoft, Columbia Business School, and leading experts in gaming, behavior change, hygiene, and education.

Vinay Vinayak, global business director at MullenLowe Singapore, said, “Every year Lifebuoy  celebrates Global Handwashing Day as a marquee event, and this year, we want to reach out to  more children and adults alike with our two new lovable champions: Moo Deng and AI-Teacher  Hippo. While Moo Deng can win over audiences and convey the important message of handwashing  through her adorable personality, AI-Teacher Hippo will be able to capture different children’s  preferences by offering unique personalized experiences that make hygiene education both fun and  unforgettable.” 

Sarvesh Raikar, president – creative at MullenLowe Lintas India, also shared, “As the world is looking at  innovative ways to use celebrities and influencers, we are proud of how we could use a unique  global personality like Moo Deng to refresh our multi-country behavior-change campaign  #HforHandwashing. Moo Deng (Hippos) was integral to the campaign idea and the video ‘Confessions of Moo Deng’ helps us deliver the core idea in an unsuspecting, memorable way.” 

Lifebuoy’s global ‘H for Handwashing’ movement has embedded essential hygiene practices into school curriculums worldwide through partnerships with parents, educators, governments, NGOs, and organizations like Sesame Workshop. This initiative has reached over 14 million children across 35 countries. 

Indonesia – Lifebuoy, Unilever’s iconic hygiene soap brand, has enlisted the expertise of creative agencies MullenLowe Singapore, MullenLowe Lintas India, and MullenLowe Lintas Indonesia for its 90th anniversary campaign, which honours Indonesia’s rich history and celebrates everyday heroes.

Coinciding with Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day celebrations, Lifebuoy’s campaign presents a heartfelt film that pays tribute to the nation by featuring real-life national and everyday heroes, including Indonesia’s first Olympic Gold medallist Susy Susanti, the country’s first world boxing champion Ellyas Pical, ‘Disability Womenpreneur’ Nicky Clara, and sculptor Fransisca Ardiyusanti.

The campaign is part of Lifebuoy’s celebration of 90 years of protecting the dreams of generations of Indonesians. By shining a spotlight on the country’s national icons, the campaign aims to inspire Indonesians with the stories of fellow citizens who have pursued their dreams. 

The campaign film weaves in the powerful message that no dream is realised in a day but must be nurtured and protected daily—starting with maintaining a healthy body and safeguarding ourselves from illness.

Khim Yin Poh, global vice president at Lifebuoy, said, “Lifebuoy has been serving generations of Indonesians by helping them stay protected from illness since 1934. Our 90th anniversary milestone was the perfect occasion to not only reaffirm Lifebuoy’s commitment to protecting people’s good health and dreams in Indonesia for now and for the next 90 years, but also to express our gratitude to thank Indonesians for the privilege of being a part of their lives for many years. 

“We wanted to feature renowned individuals who have achieved greatness, who are also real people with real aspirations and families behind them. Some of the featured celebrities also turned out to be long-term Lifebuoy users, bringing in a sense of their own family’s history with the brand, which enriched the campaign further,” Poh added. 

As part of the campaign, Lifebuoy hosted a press conference featuring Susy Susanti and Nickly Clara, both of whom are highlighted in the film, as speakers. The campaign received further amplification through mainstream media coverage and social media content shared by influencers and celebrities. Additionally, 30-second versions of the video were created and distributed across various digital and e-commerce platforms, including TikTok.

Vinay Vinayak, global business director of MullenLowe Singapore, said, “Lifebuoy is a pioneer for the prevention of illness through a germ protection soap. In its 90th year in Indonesia, we thought it would be fitting to create a heartfelt reminder for people with the message that dreams are not realised in a day, but in fact they need to be nurtured and protected every day, just like good health. Preventing the outbreak of infectious diseases is becoming more important than ever, but we know that dry statistics are usually not very compelling in helping people proactively adopt good hygiene habits, so we wanted to find an emotional way to get Lifebuoy’s message of hygiene across. Early reactions to the campaign have been positive, and we believe this trajectory will continue over the coming months.”