Unilever Hits Up AI Hippo for Lifebuoy Brand Engagement
An AI hippo developed for Unilever’s U.K.-based Lifebuoy brand is providing personalized lessons in handwashing to kids around the world.
Unilever launched the AI platform in partnership with Microsoft, alongside a team of technology, education, behavior science, and creative storytelling experts, as a brand engagement tool across 11 key markets: India, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Africa, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
Microsoft built the technical foundation with Azure OpenAI, with immersive production studio Aircards using AI and augmented reality to enable real-world interactions in order to make the education more engaging for kids. Users can choose between a digital coloring book, songs, and games, with content tailored to their location. Creative agency MullenLowe worked on engagement, tapping into kids’ love of animals and the power of personalization.
The hippo teacher addresses kids by name and integrates their favorite colors and foods into lessons. Kids can choose to learn in English, Hindi, Bahasa Indonesian, Vietnamese, or Amharic.
“Lifebuoy’s core consumers are families, and parents are highly invested in their children’s health,” Lifebuoy global brand lead Khim Yin Poh said in a statement. “A campaign like this reinforces Lifebuoy’s role as a trusted partner in maintaining family well-being and that in turn boosts brand equity. Families see Lifebuoy not just as a product, but as a brand that’s making a positive difference in their lives.”
Weaving Personalization Tech With Lifestyle Needs
The tool was developed based on advice from Dr. Sandra Matz of Columbia Business School about how personalized training can improve engagement and increase the likelihood that lessons will stick. That’s been shown to be true when improving performance for frontline employees at a global steel manufacturer or when trying to improve physical activity with smartphone applications and activity trackers.
“We wove it all together with Lifebuoy’s proven behavior change model, building the tool on the pillars of awareness, commitment, reinforcement, and reward to create an educational experience that’s not only fun but also grounded in scientific evidence,” Poh said.
Early testing of the AI teacher hippo tool among 6- to 10-year-olds in Delhi found that their awareness of the importance of handwashing before eating or after going to the bathroom increased by a multiple of eight. All of the kids in the test said they wanted to learn more about handwashing after using the tool and 28% began washing their hands in a way that targets areas where germs are most likely to hide.
The cost-effective and scalable tool is the latest component in the H for Handwashing campaign Lifebuoy launched in 2020, which has worked to integrate hygiene lessons into early education. The effort has also incorporated alphabet books, board games, digital games, and teaching aids across the 50 countries where the brand is sold.
