Challenge:

Washing our hands became critical in 2020 as COVID-19 spread. But kids hate washing their hands. In fact, some 80% of children were not washing their hands properly. As the virus spread around the world, it became necessary to make handwashing fun to change kids’ attitudes.

Idea:

Together with Dreams Inc., we invented tiny soaps that lasted 30 seconds. The soaps were sized so they could be used up in the exact time that Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare recommends people wash their hands. Shaped like six dangerous viruses, the soaps turned previously invisible viruses into enemies to vanquish. They changed boring handwashing into the new experience: conquering a virus in 30 seconds.

Results:

Almost as soon as they went on sale, 130,000 boxes of the soap sold out. The soap became a hit anti-virus product around Japan without a single ad, just word of mouth. 91.3％ of children who experienced using the soap replied that “Washing my hands was more fun.” These tiny soaps created a new normal for handwashing that significantly changed kids’ futures.