UNILEVER/OMO VIETNAM

CASE STUDY SUMMARY:

Context:

The Chinese Lunar New Year - Têt in Vietnamese - is the only festival celebrated by the entire nation. It’s a celebration when the whole country unifies and immerses in their culture and heritage. It’s a festival about family, centred around meal traditions and ancestral rituals - the equivalent to Christmas in the West. OMO (Persil) was the largest brand (65% market share in 2009 *) and the most expensive detergent in Vietnam.  

Problem:

A detergent brand had no role to play in a festival centred around family, food, and traditions.

Strategy:

To give OMO a meaningful role during Têt, we tapped into what mattered most: tradition and togetherness. Our research uncovered an old saying — “Têt doesn’t come until you make it with your own hands.” So that year, OMO encouraged kids to get their hands dirty to help prepare for Têt and strengthen family bonds. Because after all, Dirt is Good.**

Creative work:

A full 360° campaign to bring OMO’s beloved Têt story to life across TV, print, OOH, digital and in-store.

Results:

• OMO sold 25 million detergent packs instead of its initial target of 15 million.

• OMO’s brand attribute ‘Most Loved Brand’ went up by 2 points. And most importantly we weaved OMO into the cultural fabric of Vietnam.

  (Sources: Unilever and Nielsen 2011).

Note:

I was Strategic Planner at Mullen Lowe, reporting to the Head of Planning.

* Unilever CMI; ** ‘Dirt is Good’ is OMO’s global brand positioning