The encyclopedia · Marketing & Brand · Marketing decision · 2016
Ariel sold laundry detergent by asking men to share the housework.
P&G's Ariel turned the unequal burden of laundry into a social campaign, and men pledging to 'share the load' nearly doubled the brand's sales.
Procter & Gamble (Ariel) · BBDO Mumbai · Mediacom Mumbai
the move
Ariel, the detergent brand from P&G, was losing to a competitor with a stronger social message. Its answer was to redefine itself beyond product performance and into social impact.
The 'Share the Load' campaign, made by BBDO Mumbai and Mediacom Mumbai, featured a film urging men to share the weight of household chores, supported by campaign-specific packaging and run across online, cinema and television.
As 1.57 million men publicly pledged to 'share the load', the brand did far more than win attention: Ariel more than doubled its value and volume sales, which grew 106% and 105% respectively.
why it works
- A social pledge created a reason to buy beyond cleaning performance
- The collectable pledge made the issue measurable and shareable
- Packaging turned every box into a reminder of the campaign
- It owned a rival's turf by being the brand that said something true
what transfers
In a category bought on a boring claim, a brand can win by attaching the product to a social change people want to be seen joining.
what came after
Share the Load was ranked the number one campaign in the world in the 2017 WARC 100, with a score of 164.2, ahead of John Lewis's famous Christmas work. It helped keep P&G the top advertiser that year, and the work was widely recognised across effectiveness and creativity awards. Ariel built follow-up campaigns in India over subsequent years.
references
- Ariel Share the Load is world's top-ranked campaign: WARC 100, 2017
- WARC 100 reveals the world's most effective campaigns, brands and agencies
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