Kimberly-Clark and Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai raise awareness of taboo health issue
Kimberly-Clark’s adult care brand Depend and Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Shanghai have launched a digital campaign that appeals to the children of incontinence sufferers in China to raise awareness of this prevalent yet seldom discussed health issue.
In China, at least 34 percent of adults aged 35 years and older experience urine leakage at least once per week. To raise awareness of this distinctly taboo topic among aging parents and their children, Ogilvy Advertising developed a digital solution that shares the advantages of Depend’s wide range of adult care products with the caregivers of incontinence sufferers.
The campaign comprises of a 60-second online video that shows the little white lies that parents tell to express their love, such as saving the best things in life for their young ones. The video is linked to a micro-site featuring a lie detector test, or a questionnaire that asks adult children about their elderly parents’ habits, like whether or not their parents frequent the bathroom often and whether they have recently started to avoid going outdoors. The caregivers can then apply online to receive free samples of Depend products that can be sent directly to their homes. To drive traffic to the campaign micro-site, Ogilvy created online banner ads for PPS, Baidu and health portal 39.net which has teamed up with Kimberly-Clark to encourage consumers to openly discuss this health issue on Sina Weibo.
Marketing Director for Kimberly-Clark Adult & Feminine Care, Ms. Jaja Lang, said, “Incontinence is a universal health issue that impacts so many elderly Chinese but they often feel embarrassed and voiceless to openly discuss the problem. In an effort to alleviate their physical and emotional discomfort, this campaign offers an intimate and comforting way to raise awareness of the issue with the people who are best positioned to help these sufferers – their children.”
Thomas Zhu, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Shanghai, said, “Our
communications strategy focuses on the caregivers rather than the beneficiaries. So we found a way to build a deep emotional bond with the target audience of Chinese sons and daughters in their mid-20s and up by tapping into the Chinese value of filial piety. This digital campaign opens up a fresh conversation about the often overlooked issue of elderly incontinence.”
Credits – Group Creative Director: Thomas Zhu. Art Directors: Phoebe Liao, Jack Xuan. Copywriters: Kevin Sam, Kiddy Wang. Agency Producer: Anthony Lee. Managing Director: Yuan Yong. Business Director: Franie Zhang. Account Team: Angel Chen, Jadie Gu, Ashley Zhou. Media Agency: Mindshare. Production House: Pro.