Turning Packaging Into Education
Colgate Palmolive
Issue 32 | September 2014
Agency
Red Fuse Communications, Y&R Myanmar, Y&R Malaysia
Creative Team
Red Fuse Communications Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Shen Guan Tan Red Fuse Communications Regional Retail Creative Director Patrick Daly Y&R Malaysia Executive Creative Director /Art Director Gigi Lee Red Fuse Communications Regional Creative Director of Content Sly Song Red Fuse Communications Regional Creative Director Craig Love Y&R Malaysia Creative Director/Art Director / Illustrator Joshua Tay Red Fuse Communications Regional Associate Creative Director Kelvin Kwan Red Fuse Communications Regional Copywriter Kenny Mar Y&R Malaysia Art Director/ Illustrator Law Kok Yew Y&R Myanmar Art Director Ye Kyaw Htut Y&R Myanmar Copywriter Phyo Wai Htun
Production Team
Red Fuse Communications Regional Managing Director Jason Oke Y&R Myanmar General Manager Khin Myat Thu Red Fuse Communications Regional Strategy Director Chetan Murthy Red Fuse Communications Director of Operations Marianne Gable Associate Digital Director Kenward Ng Red Fuse Communications Regional Associate Account Director Ariel Chau Colgate Palmolive VP Marketing, Asia Division Orlando Tenorio Colgate Palmolive Marketing Director, Oral Care, Asia Division Rob Carter Colgate Palmolive Category Mgr, Design & Packaging Greg Corra
Date
March 2014
Background
Recent political and economic reforms in Myanmar have opened up the country's trade borders to the rest of the world. As one of the first brands to enter the market, Colgate decided they wanted to give something back to the country that had so warmly welcomed them. Colgate saw an opportunity to use their fast growing distribution network to provide schools with educational resources they currently desperately lacked.
Idea
Colgate wanted to teach children the importance of oral care's role in improving overall health and wellbeing. The schools they most needed to reach were mostly off the beaten track, 'media dark' areas and home to the country's poorest communities.
The idea was to print posters on the inside of the large cardboard boxes used to distribute Colgate products.
Using Colgate's distribution network, the boxes were delivered to village store owners who were requested to pass them on to their local schools.
Rather than use westernised educational texts and diagrams, a series of colourful posters were designed in traditional Burmese illustration styles.
Teachers could plan interactive lessons around the posters, which had prompts to call a free telephone number to hear recorded educational information, thereby offering further depth to the graphics.
Results
Turning Packing into Education was successfully rolled out in rural schools in Myanmar. The head teacher at Thankangyunn declared it 'an inspiring solution to answer our most pressing educational needs. Accessing the lesson plans via the toll free number felt like having an extra pair of hands in the classroom'. Following the success of this trial, Colgate said it intended to roll out the initiative across the rest of Myanmar.
Our Thoughts
This is another example of a brand setting out to do good and to be seen to be
doing good. Boards around the world are learning to be responsible in business. In return, the positive brand warmth that is created will, they hope, turn into sales at some point.
As Myanmar (what used to be called Burma) opens up, so the brands that will end up being successful are those that help the country be successful.
Perhaps I am being too cynical. I have read of a CEO who declared: “We don’t need corporate social responsibility or marketing social responsibility or whatever the west wants to call it.
“We do it for God.”