Lifebuoy's new ad harps on hugs and kisses in a social distancing era

'Jhappi and pappi' (hugs and kisses) in times of COVID?

Lifebuoy's latest ad takes us through a journey of expressing affection through a little girl's eyes. We see the girl shower her elder sister with hugs and kisses as they go about their day together.

It's remarkable that this COVID era ad goes the extra mile to show physical affection at a time when everyone is pleading to one another to observe social distancing norms. The ad takes place within a family setup and tells the tale of the girl as she follows her elder sister around, with hugs and kisses galore.

The ad by MullenLowe Lintas asks why put their 'jhappi pappi' on hold for the fears of the virus, and shows the girl washing her hands with a red bar of Lifebuoy soap.

Ever since the Coronavirus started spreading and India went into lockdown, Lifebuoy has been active on the advertising front, encouraging users to buy their products in a bid to keep the virus at bay.

As early as January 2020, Lifebuoy took out a full page ad in the Hindustan Times to advise people about best handwashing practices.

In March, actress Kajol was announced as the 'handwashing' ambassador, Lifebuoy soap, which is marketed by Hindustan Unilever (HUL). In the video, she stresses on the importance of handwashing as a potent precaution against the Coronavirus and then tells the viewers to use any soap that they have.

In times like these, the only thing that matters is yours & your family's health. A soap, ANY soap is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. And yes, use an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer when outdoors. My appeal to you all is to take the necessary precautions & stay safe! pic.twitter.com/gTWrCI6DxO

— Kajol (@itsKajolD) March 20, 2020

In May, HUL took the initiative to distribute 10 lakh medical grade sanitisers to frontline workers, such as policemen, doctors and nurses. To address the short supply of essential medical grade sanitisers for the frontline workers, HUL partnered with Fullarton Distilleries to manufacture and donate 3,500 litres of hand sanitisers to the Mumbai Police force to keep them safe from COVID-19.

Also Read: HUL distributes 3,500 litres of Lifebuoy hand sanitisers to Mumbai Police

In July, OYO Hotels & Homes partnered with Unilever to enhance OYO’s ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative. Unilever’s home and personal hygiene brands will be used in the cleaning and disinfecting of OYO properties.

Also Read: A road trip to an OYO room…

With higher hygiene standards, minimal touch services and enhanced credibility topping the list of customer requirements, Unilever’s R&D team will work with OYO to co-create standard operating procedures (SOPs) for cleaning to maximise the positive effects of Unilever products. OYO properties where these operating procedures are used, will display a tag on booking pages to show Unilever products have been used in cleaning services.

Through this partnership, select OYO properties will have Unilever hygiene kits for guests and cleaning supplies for staff, including products from brands such as Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif.

In September, Geometry Encompass hijacked existing handwash behaviour and replaced it with hackwashing. The agency defined it as the process of using a special wearable ink made of Lifebuoy formula which, turns, into antibacterial soap on coming in contact with water.

So, by simply stamping people’s hands outside toilets and food courts, they ensured people use germ-killing soap every time they rinsed their hands. This became one of the world’s first instant re-education campaign, that taught over 150 million people to use soap, with no discounted samples or waste.

The campaign turned an unsanitary habit into life-saving action. Hackwashing ensured handwashing with soap wasn't a choice, but a mandate. A simple social hacking solution that not only insulated the world’s largest human gathering from infections, but also threw light on the importance of effective handwashing.