The soap innovation that makes kids want to wash their hands (South Africa)

Hundreds of people die every year in South Africa from diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea, pneumonia and cholera due to the lack of hygiene. The kids end up being one of the most affected for being more vulnerable.

With that in mind, Y&R in collaboration with Safety Lab, Dare to Share and Blikkiesdorp4Hope came up Hope Soap. A simple and brilliant idea of encasing a toy in a see through soap bar so children would be excited about washing their hands, and consequently, would develop the habit.

As they show in the case study video, the initiative got amazing results reducing respiratory infections in 75% and illnesses in 70%. The campaign was also awarded with two silvers at Cannes and two Loeries.

This innovation shows that brands can have a far more positive impact on society by embedding social responsibility in products – not just having CSR programmes – at the same time as positively driving sales and brand loyalty. We look forward to the likes of Lifebuoy, Dettol and other multinational healthcare brands doing more of the same.