Challenge

Carefree faced a two-fold challenge:

- Educate a target audience unfamiliar with pantyliners.

- Discuss such delicate issues as everyday wetness, odor and itchiness down there.

Objective

To create a conversation among teens on a taboo topic such as feminine hygiene.

Strategy

In a time when 78% of Filipino teens regularly use the Internet, online really is the way to go. Being digital natives, it’s a platform where they feel most comfortable expressing themselves without fear; a medium to ask questions without being mocked.

Execution

The Carefree PantyWhiners became our mouthpiece—a video series featuring three animated flowers singing about their respective issues—everyday wetness, odor and itchiness.

Outcome

PantyWhiners became Carefree’s most successful campaign ever!

Wetty Betty was launched on YouTube last 14 March, squishing and squirming about getting wet. Smelly Kelly came a week later, singing about “a different kind of flower power." The series ended with Itchy Trixie whining and scratching galore. All three highlighted problems, ending with the question “What to Do?”

Users were led to Facebook where infographics provided the answers. Solutions varied from how to wash themselves, having tissues at hand and even what to wear. Everything was capped off with wearing Carferee pantyliners every day.

By engaging teens in a familiar platform, in a language that spoke (or sang) to them, Carefree Pantywhiners was able to break through teens’ resistance on such awkward topics. The bold move of presenting the problem in a funny and animated fashion made them laugh, squirm, yell outloud and realize that yes, that is the reality and something needs to be done.

Pantywhiners proved to be Carefree’s most successful campaign as proven by numbers:

Total impressions i.e. how many times it was viewed, amounted to 14 million in 9 weeks.

The average virality quotient equaled 10.16%, stacked against the industry norm of 3%.

The three videos had a click-through rate of 4.2%, surpassing the industry standard of .10%. That’s a staggering 4,200% higher than the norm.

Sales rose exponentially by 9% despite the absence of a traditional, above-the-line campaign.

It became such a sensation that others even started to make their own versions. Due to public demand, a sequel campaign soon followed shortly.

Best of all, it sparked thousands of conversation amongst teens—the very same people who were too squeamish to talk it in the first place! Letting three flowers do the talking, or rather whining, for such taboo topics not only proved to be educational and engaging but undeniably successful.