Lifebuoy recruits 100k children to lead global handwashing initiative

Lifebuoy has recruited 100,000 children aged between six and 12 across 20 countries as chief education officers (CEOs) for its "H for Handwashing" campaign. Their primary role will be to use their voice to spread the hand hygiene message to other kids. Each child was chosen due to their passion for impacting their local community in different ways, and this initiative is part of Global Handwashing Day.

Three CEOs from Singapore, India, and South Africa will be the face of Lifebuoy's global marketing campaign, which went live on 12 October 2022. As part of the drive to create simple content, Lifebuoy partnered with Nas Studios to share the of Vishalini in India, Shannon in Singapore and Prince in South Africa.

The H for Handwashing CEOs will be equipped to take the message forward using Lifebuoy's decade-old proven behaviour changes material and work on the ground. They will visit schools, sharing Lifebuoy's alphabet book, handwashing games, videos, posters, and more to help drive lasting behaviour change.

H for Handwashing is a global behaviour change programme created by the company in 2020. The campaign aims to teach children the importance of good hygiene by co-creating programmes with education, health, humanitarian, and behaviour change experts to encourage handwashing habits in children from a young age.

Poh Khim Yin, global brand lead of Lifebuoy, explained that by working with Nas Studios, Lifebuoy is able to reach new audiences using Nas Studios' style, creativity, and approach to share Lifebuoy's work.

"We are excited to see the next generation get involved. We know the pester power of kids for purchases, but we've never harnessed the power of kids to impact behaviour change in this way. Their talent, confidence and actions are an inspiration, allowing us to empower children to create positive change and protect their communities," Poh added.

The brand wants to advocate for more governments to put "H for Handwashing" in their national curriculum. According to Lifebuoy, numerous studies have shown that children are more likely to change their behaviour when influenced by others. In addition, one study found that 59% of students changed their behaviour after being influenced by their peers. As well as discussing the importance of handwashing with their peers, the H for Handwashing CEOs will also call on key stakeholders like teachers and parents to ensure handwashing with soap is front of mind.

The brand has reached over 12 million schoolchildren within its first two years. "While 2020 was about awareness and 2021 was about action, 2022's 'H for Handwashing' campaign will be all about driving impact. Schools have been Lifebuoy's most impactful touchpoint for decades. Now we're harnessing the power of peer-to-peer learning, inspiring and cultivating a new generation of hand hygiene ambassadors," Poh said.

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