Roti reminder: When the food becomes the medium

What unsustainable behavior needs to change:

In India, inadequate handwashing practices pose a substantial public health concern. Only 53% of the population employs soap when washing their hands before eating. According to a government-conducted study, over 67% of households exhibit subpar hand hygiene practices. 

Additionally, the habit of washing hands with soap during crucial moments is infrequent in the region, with approximately 50% of households relying solely on water for handwashing. 

The pressing question then becomes: How can we nudge people to embrace better hygiene practices and break free from the unsustainable habit of not just rinsing hands, but also washing hands with soap before eating?

The Green Nudge:

Hindustan Unilever’s Lifebuoy brand, in collaboration with Ogilvy, devised a clever and elegantly simple solution to address that unsustainable habit. The idea was not only to remind people to wash their hands at the right time but also to do so using an unconventional advertising medium: food and dishes.

At the 2013 Kumbh Mela, they collaborated with 100+ local festival kitchens, stamping a question onto every roti (Indian flatbread) served: „Have you washed your hands with Lifebuoy?“ Throughout the 30-day festival, they imprinted over 2.5 million fresh rotis, reaching 5 million people. This timely initiative brought handwashing to the forefront of people’s minds.

The impact of this initiative is extending well beyond Kumbh Mela. Lifebuoy is now introducing this tactile reminder to 35 more Indian religious festivals, collectively attracting over 200 million attendees annually.

Are you aware of any other nudges that promote sanitary hygiene? Feel free to comment or get in touch: hello@green-nudges.com