Washable Book
ANGFA
Issue 47 | June 2018
Agency
McCANN HEALTH JAPAN
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director Japan & North Asia: Sean Riley Group Creative Director, Planner: Shunsuke Kakinami Art Director: Hisashi Matsui Art Director, Illustrator: Noriaki Tanimura Copywriter: Mai Kaneda Print Producer: Hideki Kanishi Account Director, Content Producer: Shinichiro Oku Group Account Director: Toru Tanaka
Production Team
Film Producer: Yasuyuki Ono Film Director: Makoto Imamura
Other Credits
Head of Client: Manami Sakamura Client Supervisor: Shiho Tanaka
Date
December 2017 (ongoing)
Background
According to UNICEF, 6000 children die every day in developing countries from infections diseases – often transmitted through dirty hands. This inspired Angfa, Japanese health and hygiene company to take the Japanese sales of their germicidal soap and ‘gift’ the same amount to the children of Cambodia – where handwashing is not a part of the culture.
But soap wasn’t enough – they needed to educate the children that soap doesn’t just clean their hands – it can also protect their futures.
Idea
The Washable Book is a low-tech innovation that transforms reading into a physical activity to inspire behavioural change. The book’s characters reach their colourful futures only by having their dirty hands physically washed on the page. The repeated action helps the children make the connection between handwashing and reaching their own future goals.
The book leverages a new printing technology: color watermark printing technology printed in 3 layers - When character’s dirty hand on the top layer is exposed to water(washed physically), the special white ink of the middle layer becomes transparent, allowing the colourful future image on the bottom layer to show through.
And the book is reusable after it dries as it doesn't need batteries or expensive hardware.
Results
Over 1.5 billion media impressions in 3 weeks resulted in 18 times more bars of soap being gifted than projected. Angfa is now in negotiation to bring the book to other developing countries. But most importantly, the Washable Book is changing children’s futures, by changing their behaviour.