Moo Deng the Hippo recommends ‘H for Handwashing' with Lifebuoy

Lifebuoy, Unilever’s largest hygiene soap power brand, has teamed up with an unexpected yet undeniably adorable partner: Moo Deng, a pint-sized pygmy hippopotamus who recently took the internet by storm. Together, they're spearheading the 'H for Handwashing' movement, redefining the letter "H" as a global symbol for handwashing, not hippos, horses, or houses! The brainpower of creative agencies MullenLowe Singapore and MullenLowe Lintas Group helped bring this splashy campaign to life.

Moo Deng is no ordinary hippo; she's a star with a mind of her own. In her first-ever branded video, "Confessions of Moo Deng," she reveals with all the flair of a true diva that she’s not thrilled with following the family tradition of "H for hippo." After observing hundreds of humans, she’s come to an epiphany: the letter "H" could be doing something useful, like standing for handwashing! Who needs another alphabet book character when you could have a champion for hygiene?

To get this idea moving, Moo Deng’s calling on us humans to scan a QR code, which unlocks a portal to a delightful AI-powered hippo teacher. The animated instructor springs to life to teach kids all about #HforHandwashing through interactive games, customised activities, and catchy tunes. Powered by Lifebuoy’s tech-savvy AI-Teacher Hippo, this initiative aims to make handwashing with soap as second nature as singing the ABCs.

Lifebuoy sees this as a major leap in its goal to ingrain handwashing into the lives of kids everywhere. As Khim Yin Poh, Lifebuoy's Global Brand Vice President, puts it, “We are thrilled to work with the world’s most popular and adorable hippo Moo Deng, and the most tech-savvy and loving AI-Teacher Hippo, for our ‘H for Handwashing’ campaign. As the world’s number one selling germ protection soap, Lifebuoy’s global movement aims to forever change how the alphabet is taught, with the simple recommendation that the letter H should not stand for hippo, horse or house, but should instead become a ubiquitous symbol for handwashing. We believe having the endorsement of Moo Deng in her first ever branded content video will reinforce our important message for children and adults alike, as a step towards improving handwashing behaviour around the world.”

Since the launch of the 'H for Handwashing' movement in 2020, Lifebuoy has been hard at work bringing hand hygiene education to schools worldwide. With partnerships spanning educational institutions, NGOs, and even Sesame Workshop, it has reached over 14 million children across 35 countries. Now, with Moo Deng on board, it’s adding animals to the influential ranks promoting handwashing!

And timing couldn't be better. According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, 646 million children still lack basic hygiene services at school. That's where AI-Teacher Hippo comes in as a game-changer, teaching kids about germ transmission, why "invisible" hands aren’t necessarily clean, and, of course, proper handwashing steps.

Vinay Vinayak, Global Business Director, MullenLowe Singapore said, “Every year Lifebuoy celebrates Global Handwashing Day as a marquee event, and this year, we want to reach out to more children and adults alike with our two new lovable champions: Moo Deng and AI-Teacher Hippo. While Moo Deng can win over audiences and convey the important message of handwashing through her adorable personality, AI-Teacher Hippo will be able to capture different children’s preferences by offering unique personalised experiences that make hygiene education both fun and unforgettable.”

Sarvesh Raikar, President (Creative), Lowe Lintas said, “As the world is looking at innovative ways to use celebrities and influencers, we are proud of how we could use a unique global personality like Moo Deng to refresh our multi-country behaviour-change campaign #HforHandwashing. Moo Deng (Hippos) was integral to the campaign idea and the video ‘Confessions of Moo Deng’ helps us deliver the core idea in an unsuspecting, memorable way.”