OMO (Dirt Is Good): Challenging Gender Stereotypes in Vietnam
Placing a young girl at the heart of the narrative, Unilever’s global laundry brand, Dirt Is Good (known as OMO in Vietnam), encourages families to embrace stains as part of play and learning. In a deliberate countermove to the under-representation of girls playing sport in Vietnam’s mainstream media, the TV advert focuses on a young girl playing football, getting her kit muddier and muddier as she enjoys practising the game.
This was OMO’s liquid product range relaunch into the Vietnamese market, and to mark the occasion, they called upon MullenLowe Singapore to create the brand’s first ever 3D billboard campaign in the centre of Ho Chi Minh. With fragrance being the country’s biggest demand in liquid detergent, the billboard incorporates an eye-catching display of pink petals bursting from the screen to represent the product’s superior scent.
The campaign also includes OOH advertising across six key cities, 1,200 shopping malls, 60 nationwide wet markets, a range of in-store activations, a partnership with VNE to run a Kid Warrior Run, and a limited edition sportswear launch in partnership with leading manufacturer Coolmate.
To find out more about the brand’s ambition, LBB’s Sunna Coleman interviews MullenLowe Singapore’s copywriter Su Ann Yip and art director Gabby Kow, who open up about the media’s role in challenging conventions and the brand’s commitment to telling culturally relevant stories.
LBB> Firstly, we’d love to hear about the brief from the client. What were your initial ideas and how did you land on the final concept?
Su Ann> The idea originated from a brand exercise with our client, Unilever, which was about bringing the OMO brand to this new space of sports as the local expression of Dirt Is Good’s ‘Play On’ strategy.
With how crowded the detergent and home care categories are, the teams were looking for ways to cut through the clutter with something bold and impactful. The exercise resulted in the idea of this campaign – and we didn’t want to let an opportunity to showcase something full of dynamism and momentum go to waste.
Funnily enough, the brief came in after we had already conceptualised and shot the film. It was very much a natural progression knowing the material we had and the kind of technology available to create a visual spectacle out of this new medium. Thankfully, we had clients who had the appetite for something fresh, and a creative lead like Loh Seow Khian, our head of art, who served as our North Star whenever we felt stuck.
LBB> The campaign is designed to champion the value of sports and addresses the lack of young girls seen in sports in Vietnam. Tell us about this mission and what the brand stands for.
Su Ann> With a history as legendary as Dirt is Good, OMO has always been a brand about challenging preconceived notions about dirt and the people who get dirty. In the landscape of sports, where performance is king and victory is often the only thing that matters, the brand found its place in the challenges and less-seen little victories, where dirt often lives.
LBB> Was there any hesitation surrounding how this would be perceived in Vietnam where, traditionally, stains and dirt are seen as bad behaviour?
Gabby> Not at all. This is precisely the kind of thinking the brand has always aimed to change. It was important to us that the campaign encourages kids and parents not to give up at the first disappointment, and to embrace stains as part of play, learning and success – rather than being seen as signs of bad behaviour.
LBB> Why do you believe it is important for brands to take risks and stand for positive change like OMO is?
Su Ann> Media is often reflective of a culture at large, and we can use it to represent existing belief systems and traditions – however, media can also be used to challenge these very beliefs. This is especially because positive change already exists; it lives in the less-heard voices of the community. This is something we saw firsthand when we were casting for the campaign and connected with real budding footballers from Vietnam’s sports scene in our film. The brand’s role is simply to better represent these wavemakers in a space cluttered by what we’ve seen a thousand times.
LBB> This was also OMO’s first ever 3D billboard – why was this the route chosen for this particular campaign?
Gabby> As we’re telling a story in a territory as dynamic and visually striking as sports, we wanted to fully realise and elevate the narrative in a way that was bold and eye-catching. We’re proud to have been the first in the Dirt Is Good team to use a 3D billboard to stop people in their tracks and show them the product benefits in a larger-than-life format.
LBB> What were some of the creative/strategic challenges on this project and what solutions did you come up with?
Gabby> Exploring new media always has its challenges, especially so when bringing things into the 3D world. But we’ve been very fortunate to have partnered with 3D experts who have been a tremendous help with bringing the idea to life.
LBB> What was your reaction to the finished work? What feedback and results have you received for the campaign so far?
Gabby> We have received positive feedback about the campaign and we hope to further cement sports as the new home of Dirt is Good, while building on its strong heritage to continue telling compelling and culturally relevant stories.
