Saatchi & Saatchi and the Hygiene Bank Unveil Powerful Symbol of Hygiene Poverty in the UK

Saatchi & Saatchi has teamed up with UK charity The Hygiene Bank to launch a new campaign highlighting hygiene poverty in the UK. Central to the campaign is 'The Edible Soap', a symbolic creative concept made for real to make a real impact, and designed to raise awareness of the fundamental challenges millions face between eating and buying toiletries.

Research from the Hygiene Bank has found that almost 8 per cent of the UK population is currently experiencing hygiene poverty. An estimated 5.3 million adults nationwide have to choose between buying food or basic hygiene products₂, such as soap, sanitary products, and deodorant. However, The Hygiene Bank estimates that around 20 million people still haven’t heard of the issue.

Launched on Thursday, March 27, 2024, Saatchi & Saatchi has backed the charity to highlight the significance of hygiene poverty in the UK and raise awareness about The Hygiene Bank’s services, which support people across the country. In addition to providing essential toiletries, the charity advocates for broader access to basic hygiene products and urges the government to remove the 20% VAT on soap.

Developed in collaboration with ethical beauty brand The Good Wash, The Edible Soap is made with organic cacao butter, oat flour, avocado oil, tomato sauce, toast flavouring, bean flavouring, paprika, and Celtic sea salt, emulating a baked bean flavour.

The campaign combines social content and talent partnerships with renowned hospitality personalities including Chantelle Nicholson, Max Coen, Melissa Thompson, Ruben Dawnay, Ana Da Costa, Chris Leach, Jay Mojaria, and Max Venning, who each created recipes with The Edible Soap. Concept development and talent management were led by SALT.

The initiative will drive fundraising through the Good Wash website where you can buy virtual bars of the soap for a £15 donation. All proceeds from the sales will support The Hygiene Bank’s continued initiatives, helping it to provide free hygiene products to individuals and families who would otherwise go without.

Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank said, “With public support, we can work toward a future where everyone has access to the hygiene essentials needed for health, hope, and opportunity. This campaign has given us a valuable platform to tell people about an issue they weren’t aware of, and amplify our call for immediate policy action by urging the government to remove VAT from soap, making it more accessible to all.”

Franki Goodwin, CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “We made The Edible Soap to put the shocking choice between eating and washing into the hands of the powerful and the influential across the UK, and bring some much needed attention to this issue and the incredible work the Hygiene Bank do to combat it. A pro-bono collaboration between us. a fantastic charity and a brilliant ethical beauty brand, we’ve found a truly innovative way raise awareness and funds at the same time.

For more information on The Edible Soap campaign, to donate, to sign the petition, or to learn more about The Hygiene Bank’s work, please visit here.