The Filipino language is beautiful and rich in meaning. But some words can be challenging to pronounce, so they aren’t often used anymore. With English becoming more and more commonplace in the Philippines, nowadays, a lot of Filipinos struggle with their own language.

Because Listerine stands for keeping mouths confident and healthy for any challenge, the brand wanted to help Filipinos appreciate their national language and enjoy speaking it. With Buwan ng Wika (the Month of Philippine Languages) being celebrated in August, the perfect opportunity came up.

Listerine launched BIBIGkasin Challenge, a tongue-twisting challenge for Filipino mouths. The name is a combination of the words “bibig” (mouth) and “bigkasin” (to say). Inspired by the perks of having a healthy mouth, six Filipino tongue twisters were created. These were launched as whimsical posters for a social campaign that showcases the beauty of the language, highlights the benefits that Listerine provides, and also puts mouths to the test.

With great oral health, there’s nothing that can stop mouths from doing anything like eating bold food, smiling for the camera, and even speaking a tough language.

Through a trending challenge, Listerine helped Filipinos pay tribute to their local language in a fun and engaging way while staying relevant to the brand.

People were dared to try saying the tongue twisters and post their attempts in their Facebook and Instagram Stories using the hashtag #BibigkasinChallenge. These generated videos of people who struggled but pushed through the tongue twisters, learned new Filipino words, or confidently showed off their healthy mouths that took on the challenge. Either way, the campaign got people enjoying and showing some love for their native language.

Six new Filipino tongue twisters were created. These featured uniquely Filipino words, with some being tough to pronounce. Each one told a story related to one of Listerine’s six oral health benefits: plaque removal, strong teeth, healthy gums, fresh breath, white teeth, and a germ-free mouth. To visualize the fun story of each tongue twister, these were turned into colorful posters with whimsical mouth illustrations.

The tongue twisters were then shared through a social media campaign during the month-long celebration of Filipino languages. Each poster had a call for people to try saying them out loud, and to post their attempts in their social media feeds and stories.

Listerine helped get more people to speak the Filipino language, while also increasing its brand relevance.

*Highest market share at 52.7% vs. Colgate Plax (main competitor)

*15.7% higher link clicks vs. KPI