In 2023, hand-hygiene relevance dwindled to an all-time low, even lower than the pre-COVID levels. Lifebuoy experienced the most substantial drop in the West Bengal market, plummeting by over 900 BPS. This was alarming for a state whose culture and cuisine compels them to eat with their hands.

Lifebuoy, committed to safeguarding people against life-threatening diseases spread through bad hand hygiene, searched for a strategic opportunity that would leave a lasting impact, to improve handwashing habits & build salience for their ‘protection from germs’ proposition.

West Bengal's grandest festival, Durga Puja, is celebrated by over 85% of the population. Elaborate ‘Pandals’ resembling temples compete in showcasing their artistic representations of Goddess Durga, drawing millions of devotees, who indulge in street-food delicacies on offer, doubling-up as a massive food festival. Hence these pandals served as our prime opening to promote hand hygiene.

Durga Puja, a 5-day extravaganza, rejoices the homecoming of the Goddess of Protection, Maa (Mother) Durga after her victory over a dangerous demon. Families and friends collectively and ritualistically visit ‘Pandals’ to admire the artistic renditions of Maa Durga, pay their homage and feast on delicious food.

Each rendition is a unique representation of Maa, a limited-edition piece of art, leading devotees to capture their images as a token of remembrance.

Leveraging festival’s cultural context, the significance of Maa in people’s lives and the social behavior of attendees, Lifebuoy created Maa’s Message, a divine intervention from Maa Durga herself. In partnership with pandal organizers, artisans & AR technologists, the brand weaved together a miraculous experience within the very spiritual journey of seeking blessings – bringing Maa alive to remind her children to be victorious over life-threatening germs by washing their hands with soap, before indulging in the traditional feast.

The bustling pandals during Durga Puja offer a captivating sight – millions of attendees in long queues, holding up their smartphones to capture the unique designs of the idols. This habit inspired the brand to create a guerilla mobile takeover, that captured the undivided attention of an unsuspecting devotee, without diluting the celebratory aura.

Capitalizing on the ubiquitous use of mobile phone cameras, Lifebuoy devised a real-time contextual intervention to deliver their hand-hygiene message to all photo-hungry devotees. A virtual, 3D avatar of the Goddess came to life and directly addressed them as they attempted to capture her image.

The experience left them awe-struck, while bringing them closer to their mother and forever etching her instructions in their minds.

AI- stylized QR codes were camouflaged within the pandal's design, with a custom machine learning model built to ensure high scanning success rate basis distance and lighting. As the codes got scanned automatically via mobile camera, a clickable link led them to the AR experience, where a life-like Maa Durga presented herself to them.

The 3D asset was created to resemble the real-life idol in every detail, including fabric behaviour and hair movements. To further enhance realism, LiDAR face scanning allowed for real-time mimicking of movements onto the 3D idol.

As the innovation was simultaneously triggered on multiple phones, Maa’s voice echoed throughout the pandal, emphasizing handwashing before indulging in festival food. Hand-washing stations were strategically placed at the beginning of the food area, ensuring people washed their hands before eating.

Maa’s message was taken beyond the pandal by influencers, who invited followers to experience Maa's 'talking' miracle, firsthand.

This multisensory approach forged a powerful connection with consumers. We created an unforgettable experience that etched the importance of hygiene into the collective consciousness of the attendees, ensuring a safer and healthier festive season for all.

1. On-ground Experience Reach – 450K devotees over 5 days

2. Organic views across channels - 6.3 million

3. Remarkable Engagement Rate of 9.99%

4. Brand imagery scores – 800 BPS increase in ‘Protects effectively against germs’

5. Recognitions - Won Gold @FOMA 2024 - Best Campaign for a Holiday/Celebration & Best Use of Mobile