Combatting Hygiene Poverty Hidden Among 4.2 Million Brits

Out-of-home creative when executed exceptionally can stop you in your tracks, holding your attention steady in a world vying for it. This recent collaboration between ACNE and The Hygiene Bank, titled ‘Hiding in Plain Sight,’ achieves just that. The campaign utilises Ocean Outdoor’s cutting-edge digital technology to draw attention to the often overlooked struggle of 4.2 million people in the UK who can’t afford basic hygiene products. 

The work juxtaposes the cheerful and familiar with the stark and uncomfortable, using bright, inviting visuals to draw people in before disrupting viewer expectations, gradually revealing a much grimmer reality that is ‘hiding in plain sight’. The campaign goes beyond raising awareness, forcing viewers to confront a hidden crisis with empathy and action. With the support of brands like Unilever and Boots, as well as strategic placement across key UK locations, the campaign encourages the public to step forward, donate, and make a tangible difference to the lives of those silently suffering. 

LBB spoke to the team at ACNE and The Hygiene Bank to find out how they brought this project to life in a bid to rally action and end stigma. 

LBB> How did this project come about?

ACNE> We started working with The Hygiene Bank at the beginning of 2023 and were shocked to learn about the hidden crises of Hygiene Poverty. We knew straight away that we wanted to create a campaign that shone a light on the issue and helped raise awareness.

We called our campaign ‘Hiding in Plain Sight’ and entered it into the ocean Outdoor competition to try and win some free media space for the charity.

LBB> The campaign title, ‘Hiding in Plain Sight,’ is quite evocative and powerful. How did you land on this concept, and what does it signify in the context of hygiene poverty?

ACNE> Despite 4.2 million people being affected by it, due to the associated shame and stigma, hygiene poverty is happening all around us, most of us oblivious to the harrowing effects. This campaign leverages that uncomfortable truth as our creative catalyst to raise awareness, shake people awake, and inspire action.

Hiding in plain sight wasn’t just a title for the campaign, it was a big organising idea that we executed everything from. We designed films that had a hidden meaning, appearing to be one thing but revealing a different message upon interaction.

LBB> The choice to use bright and cheerful opening frames is a bold contrast to the grim reality of hygiene poverty. What inspired this approach, and how do you believe it impacts audience engagement?

ACNE> Traditional charity ads are often overlooked, so we used bright, cheerful opening frames to attract attention and engage viewers that then delivered our crucial message about how they could help. We know you have to work extra hard to get people to engage with your advertising, so we wanted to make sure the opening frames of the films were as enticing as possible.

LBB> Ocean Outdoor’s Lookout and sound technology played a key role in the campaign's interactivity. Can you walk us through how you integrated this technology to create a more immersive experience?

ACNE> We wanted to use technology to make this campaign feel as human as possible. That’s how we would create something memorable. It’s easy to ignore a few written words on a poster but when you actually hear a child’s voice asking you for help, it’s shocking and brings it to life. Lookout technology was essential, as it turned our static posters into real, moving people. Looking straight at us.  

LBB> Interactive digital out of home campaigns can be challenging to execute. What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced during the production and deployment of 'Hiding in Plain Sight'?

ACNE> You learn that the media plan is as important as the creative. Making sure that the specific screens have the right tech and that those screens are in the right streets, and that those streets are in the right cities, and that those cities have the shops we were pointing people towards to donate, and if they don’t, what could we do? We had plenty of moments where we were pivoting to change the scripts because our screen locations changed. 

LBB> How did you strike a balance between raising awareness and ensuring the campaign remained respectful and empathetic?

ACNE> Trial and error. Working closely with The Hygiene Bank, who are an incredible, empathetic organisation. We were so mindful of not wanting to perpetuate the stigma around hygiene poverty, so working in partnership with them was essential. We found simply telling the real stories from people proved to be both the most respectful and effective approach. You don’t need to add anything to hearing about a five-year-old boy who has always shared a toothbrush with his brothers.

LBB> Tell us a bit about how you decided on the tone and narrative for these films, and what message did you aim to leave with viewers?

ACNE> It was always important that people felt shocked when the films came to life. Hygiene poverty is too important a societal issue for people to not know about it, and in a world of ads, we wanted people to stop and remember them. We let the stories speak for themselves but were very conscious we always needed to land on hope as our take home message. So, whilst you hear their story, we always made sure the tone was one of hope, and how you specifically, could help change their lives. 

LBB> Hygiene poverty is not a widely discussed topic. How did you approach educating yourselves and your team about this issue before developing the campaign?

ACNE> The Hygiene Bank are brilliant partners with incredible reports that detail statistics and stories that we would comb through. All the staff at The Hygiene Bank are so passionate and generous, that it was mostly through listening to their stories about people suffering from hygiene poverty that really brought it to life for us.

LBB> Collaborating with a grassroots charity like The Hygiene Bank involves a deep understanding of their mission. How did you ensure that their voice and values were authentically represented in the campaign?

ACNE> For such a sensitive campaign, there needs to be a seamless collaboration between the client and agency partner, which is exactly how we worked with The Hygiene Bank. Feedback on scripts and our initial ideas for the tech element, was always insightful and thought provoking, directly impacting the creative.

LBB> Looking back at the final outcome, is there an element of the campaign that you’re particularly proud of, or that you feel had the most significant impact?

ACNE> We’re proud that busy people took time out of their busy days, to stop and listen to the stories. We weren’t giving away free ice-cream or a chance to win millions, so to have them stop and interact with the films made us proud that we created something worthy of borrowing a minute of their day. 

LBB> Anything else you’d like to add?

ACNE> Please go and donate now.

LBB> Hygiene poverty is an issue that many people are unaware of. How important are campaigns like 'Hiding in Plain Sight,' in helping to change the public's perception, and what impact do you hope it will have on your ongoing efforts?

The Hygiene Bank> According to our latest research, 48% of those affected by hygiene poverty are too embarrassed to ask for help to access hygiene products. Being affected by hygiene poverty is often stigmatised and, with 4.2 million adults in the UK living in hygiene poverty, it is indeed hiding in plain sight.

Campaigns like 'Hiding in Plain Sight' are crucial in raising awareness about hygiene poverty. It highlights the struggles millions of families and individuals face - forcing parents to make the difficult decision between paying for essentials like food and bills or purchasing basic toiletries, undermining their mental and physical health and  limiting people’s social interactions.

We hope this campaign helps change the public perception of hygiene poverty, leading to more support to those in local communities who cannot afford to buy basic essentials like shampoo, toothbrushes or deodorant. Most importantly, we hope it reduces the stigma; it could happen to anyone. We believe that it is not right that feeling clean should be a luxury or a privilege for anyone in our society.

Thank you to the ACNE team, without their generosity, this campaign would not have happened.

You can find out more about their work and donate to The Hygiene Bank here.