Lifebuoy, Unilever’s leading hygiene soap brand, has joined forces with viral sensation Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo, for its global ‘H for Handwashing’ movement. This campaign, developed in partnership with MullenLowe Singapore and MullenLowe Lintas India, redefines the letter “H” as a universal symbol for handwashing, advocating global hygiene.
In Moo Deng’s debut branded video, Confessions of Moo Deng, the playful hippo explains her reluctance to become just another “H for Hippo” in alphabet books. Instead, she wants to inspire humans to associate “H” with something far more practical: handwashing. Observing human habits, Moo Deng believes her role can be more impactful, inspiring a call to action for a cleaner world.
To drive this mission, Moo Deng invites viewers to scan a QR code, activating an AI-enhanced “AI-Teacher Hippo” that helps children learn handwashing through interactive games, activities, and songs, all customized with AI. This addition to the campaign strengthens Lifebuoy’s pledge to make handwashing a lifelong habit for children. Since 2020, Lifebuoy has led the way in transforming hand hygiene education with its award-winning ‘H for Handwashing’ initiative.
Khim Yin Poh, Global Brand Vice President, Lifebuoy, said: “We are thrilled to work with the world’s most popular and adorable hippo Moo Deng, and the most tech-savvy and loving AI-Teacher Hippo, for our ‘H for Handwashing’ campaign. As the world’s number one selling germ protection soap, Lifebuoy’s global movement aims to forever change how the alphabet is taught, with the simple recommendation that the letter H should not stand for hippo, horse or house, but should instead become a ubiquitous symbol for handwashing. We believe having the endorsement of Moo Deng in her first ever branded content video will reinforce our important message for children and adults alike, as a step towards improving handwashing behavior around the world.”
Lifebuoy has sparked a global movement that has successfully woven essential hygiene practices into school curriculums, by partnering with parents, educational institutions, governments, NGOs, leading institutes such as Sesame Workshop, and hundreds of influential people — and now animals — around the world. The ‘H for Handwashing’ movement has reached more than 14 million children across 35 countries.
At a crucial time when 646 million children still lack basic hygiene services at their school as reported by the World Health Organization/UNICEF, highlighting the importance of prioritizing hygiene in schools, AI-Teacher Hippo steps in as a game-changer, teaching kids essential concepts such as germ transmission, the hidden risks of seemingly clean hands, key occasions for handwashing with soap, and the proper steps of handwashing with soap.
Vinay Vinayak, Global Business Director, MullenLowe Singapore, said: “Every year Lifebuoy celebrates Global Handwashing Day as a marquee event, and this year, we want to reach out to more children and adults alike with our two new lovable champions: Moo Deng and AI-Teacher Hippo. While Moo Deng can win over audiences and convey the important message of handwashing through her adorable personality, AI-Teacher Hippo will be able to capture different children’s preferences by offering unique personalized experiences that make hygiene education both fun and unforgettable.”
Sarvesh Raikar, President – Creative, MullenLowe Lintas India, said: “As the world is looking at innovative ways to use celebrities and influencers, we are proud of how we could use a unique global personality like Moo Deng to refresh our multi-country behavior-change campaign #HforHandwashing. Moo Deng (Hippos) was integral to the campaign idea and the video ‘Confessions of Moo Deng’ helps us deliver the core idea in an unsuspecting, memorable way.”
