PERSIL

Copy-Driven Campaign

2023 D&D New Blood Winner // Unilever, OMO

SHORT & SWEET

The Ask: Adapt the existing Dirt is Good message focused on kids to a new audience of young adults in the UK

The Strategy: Rebrand dirt. Dare this new audience to see dirty clothes as a sign of a life well-lived.

The Solution: You are washing your clothes either way, so they might as well be dirty.

“For over 20 years, Unilever’s top laundry brands around the world (such as OMO, Persil and Skip) have been united through their category challenging message: ‘Dirt is Good’.

Dirt is Good (DIG) encourages messy play for child development. It gives parents the confidence to let their children go outside and get dirty, safe in the knowledge that their clothes will always wash fresh and clean again with DIG laundry products. These efforts have been focused on young families, until now.”

(Background via the D&AD New Blood Awards Brief 2023)

DREAM & DARE

is DIG’s new platform intended for an older audience.

“DIG wants to inspire people of all ages to dream and dare, without fear of getting dirty. Because you don’t achieve your dreams by playing it safe.”

(Background via the D&AD New Blood Awards Brief 2023)

The DIG message has been successful for parents of children because

Kids love to live life messy.

They are completely unencumbered by the awareness that the stains on their clothes translate to laundry later on.

But for adults without kids, it’s a different story.

living life messy feels irresponsible.

So they go through the day doing everything in their power to make sure that their clothes show no sign of being worn. In fact, 84% of British adults wash their clothes before they look visibly dirty.

(Mintel)

For adults, the DIG message means trusting that Persil has the laundry taken care of.

Persil gives you permission to run toward the mess, not away from it. Get dirty. And we mean truly dirty. Because dirt is a sign of a life well-lived. It’s a sign of living with no regrets; not holding back.

But that doesn’t mean life isn’t messy for adults.

Life is full of unavoidable messy moments.

And some of the best moments in life are also the messiest.

If you are just throwing your clothes in the hamper at the end of the day anyway, they might as well be dirty.

Persil can handle the mess, even for adults.

Introducing…

PERSIL: BE DIRT WORTHY

A copy-driven campaign that shifts the narrative around stains by encouraging – no, demanding – that these adults live a life full of big, messy moments. As a detergent brand, Persil is giving adults permission to live the carefree lives that their child-selve’s always dreamed of.

By combining moments that are physically dirty with moments that are metaphorically dirty, we are calling attention to how dirt is simply a part of life, so you might as well embrace it - revel in it, even.