Client Brief:
Unilever has been a household name in Malaysia since 1947.  The Unilever brand, found in consumer products in millions of homes across 150 countries, is a trusted name in nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Some of Unilever’s popular brands include Lifebuoy, Dove, Breeze, Lux, Sunsilk, Clear, Pond’s, Rexona, Fair & Lovely, Wall’s, Lipton, Lady’s Choice, Knorr and Planta. Lifebuoy is one of Unilever’s oldest brands, and has been sold in countries across the world since the 1890’s. Throughout its history Lifebuoy soap has been affordable to everyone, helping people to live with greater freedom from health problems. Today, more than 1.6 billion people around the world trust Lifebuoy products to protect them from germs. Lifebuoy, the pioneering soap, is a true embodiment of Unilever’s Vitality Mission: to help people look good, feel good and get more out of life.

Business Challenge:
GLOBAL HANDWASHING MONTH CAMPAIGN – Unilever is part of the inaugural Global Handwashing Day campaign that was initiated by UNICEF that will echo and reinforce its call for improved hygiene practices. 

As for Malaysia, Lifebuoy has initiated to embark on the campaign for a month instead of a day to promote this awareness. Lifebuoy brand has just been recently introduced in Malaysia in the beginning of this year. Hence, the product awareness was not as highly visible as its counter parts in the Asia Pacific. Essence was appointed to not only spread the awareness but also to create a great visibility to the brand itself. Lifebuoy wanted to be widely recognized by the masses as the brand that promotes good hygiene through the media. Since the brand was not widely known to the local market, embarking on the campaign was a great challenge. Unlike its competitors which have been in the market for a long time, hence, the brand runs the risk of benefiting competitors if key messages were not communicated effectively.

Essence PR Strategy:
Essence has coordinated with the Ministry Of Education in retaining approval to go to primary schools to distribute posters and Lifebuoy products in line to the campaign as well to promote the brand awareness.
The campaign started off with a soft launch at a pre-school which the main target audiences are children age between 3 – 6 years old. Then, Lifebuoy collaborated with a media house in East Malaysia to spread its campaign at that region with a greater cause. The campaign was widely endorsed by its local councils and government in plight to prevent the Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. It was ended in a simple ceremony held in a primary school which was an adopted school for Unilever.

Results:

• Essence has achieved in reaching out to 62,000 children during the course of the campaign of which was estimated to target at only 50,000 children nationwide.
• The collaboration with the East Malaysia’s media has given a great impact in promoting the campaign in plight to their Hand, Foot & Mouth disease cases there. The municipal has also collaborated with Lifebuoy in distributing posters to all its public toilets and coffee shops in Sibu, Sarawak. The collaboration helped increase Lifebuoy, its brand recognition amongst the teachers, parents and the public.
• Essence has positioned Lifebuoy as the key hand washing product in leveraging their global handwashing campaign. 
• Essence managed to secure substantial coverage that reflected the Global Handwashing Day across Malaysia’s mainstream dailies and magazines. Essence also distributed the posters to all mainstream media houses throughout the duration of this campaign, which would strengthen the brand recognition for both the campaign and Lifebuoy