Colgate-Palmolive, in partnership with VMLY&R, is striving to amplify sustainability efforts across Southeast Asia through a series of campaigns on Shopee. As part of Colgate’s Smiling Planet initiative, these campaigns, developed in collaboration with VMLY&R, are designed to empower consumers in making a positive impact by choosing Colgate Palmolive’s sustainable products.
Spanning from late October to early November 2023 across various days in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan, the initiatives showcased attractive discounts on Colgate’s array of recyclable and eco-friendly oral, personal, and household items. As an extra reward for mindful consumers, the brand contributed a segment of every purchase to the WWF-Singapore (World Wide Fund for Nature) Singapore, Eco-Schools Programme. This initiative encourages students to take on leadership roles, engaging them in driving sustainability efforts through student-led initiatives within their school environments.
Due to Colgate’s dedication to eradicating plastic waste by 2025, over 83% of the brand’s packaging by weight is currently recyclable. This transformation owes much to innovations such as its HPDE recyclable toothpaste tube. Additionally, numerous other Colgate products are now crafted from recycled materials, significantly reducing the use of plastic compared to traditional packaging methods.
Colgate observed a significant surge in sales across the region, with certain markets reporting an impressive +1700% increase in sales compared to regular business days. Notably, 67% of total buyers were first-time purchasers, underscoring a robust interest in Colgate Palmolive’s sustainable product range.
“Being a force for good is a key part of Colgate-Palmolive’s DNA, from their recyclable (toothpaste) tube to their commitment to driving social impact, preserving the natural environment and empowering communities to live brighter, healthier futures, said Alex Tan, Commerce Director, VMLY&R Singapore.
“We know that consumers care about their environment, but often feel helpless to make an impact. Through Colgate’s Shopee Super Brand Day campaign consumers were empowered to make a sustainable choice whilst contributing to creating a greener future by supporting WWF’s important youth programme, and the results for Colgate speak for themselves.”
Commenting on the campaign, M. Chandrasekar, SVP Customer Development, Colgate-Palmolive APAC, said: “Change always begins with a small act. Our small act was to make recyclable tubes a reality and a small act for consumers could be discarding recycling tubes and sustainable packaging in the right spaces or bins in accordance with the local regulations. Working with VMLY&R we are able to make these small acts slightly bigger. Just by taking the small act of choosing to purchase Colgate-Palmolive sustainable products, consumers know that a portion of their purchase goes towards important educational projects that impact their environment and their future, showing that together, even small acts like this can make a big difference.”
