Never has the monotonous task of washing your hands been so emotional. A new campaign by Saatchi & Saatchi Shanghai for Safeguard soap has gone viral, clocking up more than 40 million views in China.
Playing on the tradition of families coming together for dinner to celebrate Chinese New Year, the agency, in collaboration with Chinese director Xi Ran, has created four ads featuring the stories of individual’s efforts to make it to the table. With each story the tag line ‘Wash Hands before Eating’ is included, aiming at maintaining health through hygiene by keeping hands clean before mealtimes with Safeguard.
In a release Kenny Choo, chief creative officer of Saatchi & Saatchi Shanghai, said: “In China, every time someone comes home for a meal, you would hear the words ‘Xi Shou Chi Fan’ which literally means ‘Wash hands and have dinner’ – and this is synonymous with all families in China.
“For Safeguard, the emotional connection with this Chinese vernacular has made it a household name in China for the last 25 years. This was a fantastic opportunity from P&G to create series of emotional stories set during CNY in China.”
The story “Three Guys” shows how parents often pack too much into their child’s luggage before they go away to remind the audience of their parents’ love and that the best thing they can give in return is good health.
“Office Lady” tells the story of a girl who moved to the city for work. When her parents worry about her living alone, making her wash her hands before dinner is their way of expressing their love.
The other two, “Coming Home” and “Reunion” capture the experiences encountered when trying to get home for Chinese New Year dinner.
