Since launching Ariel Pods a couple of years ago, we have managed to grow market shares but were still below the Euro average (15% Vs. 25%).

Sales data helped identify one stubborn group that didn’t buy into this advanced form of detergent - Orthodox Jews.

Responsible for 30% of category, Orthodox serve as an important strong-hold on our journey to making pods the category norm.

Orthodox women take pride in their mastery of the laundry process – amount needed, adding softeners, stain-removers, etc. and Ariel’s pre-dosed pods were taking away the need for mastery. Women were also complacent with current detergent, perceiving pods as “too small to clean”.

Since Orthodox refrain from consuming general mass-media due to religious restrictions, we had limited channels to get them to reconsider their initial stance, therefore needing to find a unique way for them to try us.

Objective – increase pod penetration among Orthodox.

Orthodox women refused to try Pods. Thinking that:

• There’s no way that a tiny, one-size fits all, pre-dosed, 3-in-1 Pod can replace her and her families years of mastery

• Using Technology is cutting a corner she isn’t willing to take as a Mom - unless proven effective as traditional methods.

That’s why while the entire world and the secular Israeli population already moved to using the pre-dosed technology of Ariel Pods, Pods shares in the Orthodox segment remained low.

But how can you convince someone unwilling to be convinced? How can you overcome years of Tradition and fear from technology?

We will act during the onetime women can't do laundry – immediately after giving birth – when men are forced to take on the task.

New dads will be used as a bridgehead to their woman’s heart and mind, leading eventually also to a more equal chore sharing.

How can you create a Point of Market CHANGE , when the consumer never changes? And is unwilling to change?

The only time Orthodox women receive some rest is after giving birth when they go to maternity hotels.

Who is left back home to take care of the older kids? The inexperienced husband…

The ENTIRE COMMUNITY enlists to take care of the family, helping the clueless dad by cooking, shopping and cleaning. One thing they don’t do is Laundry - considered too personal.

So he ends up bringing the laundry to his wife at the hotel!

In-fact, maternity hotels have designated laundry-rooms exactly for this purpose… So instead of resting, she’s laundering...

We would use dads to build a bridgehead to their women, focusing on maternity hotel visits and following up by igniting a much bigger social conversation boosting our message - “impeccable results, no matter who does the laundry”.

We established Ariel Dad academies in the top 3 maternity hotels (12,000 births annually). Our instructors showed how simple it is to share the load using pods (just throw into the machine…). Easy enough even for the most inexperienced man and so simple that women can finally trust him to do it…

Hundreds of visiting new dads signed up to the program and went through a 5-minute crash course that taught them all they need to know about laundry, essentially - Pods. Final exam consisted of successfully shooting the pod into a washing-machine.

An official Ariel Academy MA degree (Master-of-Ariel) certificate was awarded, in addition to samples and coupons intended for sharing with the supportive family/ friends back home.

Content created during classes fed our PR and communication, creating quite a stir on social media.

Ariel pods are now an integral part of birth-kits (with Pampers) in maternity wards nationwide.

• Sales of pods in the Orthodox sector have shot up 24% in one month from 4% to 5% (and the campaign is still going strong).

• Total Ariel franchise (Powder, Liquid and Pods) reached its highest ever shares in the Orthodox sector, up 48% (!) vs. the quarter prior to the activity on a brand that was already the market leader.

• National Ariel shares are at their highest ever, making up a third of the market!

• Social media – the number of mentions of Ariel in general and “3 in 1” pods specifically grew dramatically, indexing 139 vs. previous period.

• Social listening shows that we managed to ignite an important long overdue conversation not only about laundry chores during the maternity leave but about the topic of sharing domestic responsibilities between men and women as a whole…