HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM — Unilever’s global laundry power brand Dirt Is Good, known as OMO in Vietnam, has launched a bold new campaign to mark the relaunch of its liquids portfolio in the market. The campaign, “Many Stains Come Before The First Win” is the first local expression of Dirt Is Good’s new “Play On” strategy, which takes the brand into the territory of top performance by championing the value of sports to unleash human potential and drive personal growth, determination, and resilience.
In partnership with lead creative agency, MullenLowe Singapore, the campaign encourages kids and parents not to give up at the first disappointment, and to embrace stains as part of play, learning and success – rather than being seen as a sign of bad behavior. In a deliberate countermove to the under-representation of girls playing sport in Vietnam’s mainstream media, OMO have put a young girl getting muddy playing football at the heart of the narrative for the TV advert.
Dirt Is Good’s first ever 3D billboard, located in the center of Ho Chi Minh brings the functional benefits of OMO’s new NanoClean Technology to life. The eye-catching display shows a muddy football being kicked, while pink petals appear to jump off the screen, bringing to life the key product benefits of first-time removal of tough stains such as mud and dirt, and superior fragrance. Fragrance is the biggest demand space in liquid detergent in Vietnam and continues to grow steadily in importance for consumers.
Spanning both cities and rural areas, the campaign also includes OOH advertising across six key cities, 1,200 Shopping Malls and 60 nationwide wet markets. To further cement sport as the new home of Dirt Is Good, additional activity includes a wide-range of in-store activations with bold displays, floor projections and consumer sampling of a limited OMO sport edition, as well as a partnership with VNE to run a Kid Warrior Run, and limited edition sport-wear launch in partnership with leading sport-wear manufacturer Coolmate, with 30,000 t-shirts to be won.
The home care category in Southeast Asia continues its strong momentum, and is expected to reach a retail value market size of USD 12.5 billion by 2027, with laundry care as the biggest contributor. With double digit value growth year on year since 2022, OMO is the highest-selling laundry detergent brand in Vietnam, present in over half of all households across the country. While retaining its stronghold in powder, this innovative new offering will allow OMO to tap into and drive the widespread consumer shift towards more sophisticated formats, including liquids which are easier to use and store.
This campaign builds on Dirt Is Good’s strong heritage in nuanced local and culturally relevant storytelling. For example, OMO’s celebration of Tet earlier this year, delivered through a moving music video with renowned Vietnamese singer Hòa Minzy, reminding people not to give up during difficult times, and that where there is hard work, and dirt, there is hope.
James Adkin, Senior Global Marketing Manager at Unilever, said: “Sport is the ultimate home of performance and resilience. We are proud to bring this campaign to Vietnam, as we continue to shift the narrative around dirt and stains – celebrating dirt asa mark of kid’s resilience in learning about the outside world, with the reassurance that clothes can be quickly restored, ready to play again.”
Sean Lee, Senior Account Director at Mullen Lowe Singapore, said: “With OMO, we are constantly working to find new and innovative ways to connect with people. We’re proud to have been the first in the Dirt Is Good team to use a 3D billboard to stop people in their tracks and show them the product benefits in a larger-than-life format. We hope the campaign feels relatable to families across Vietnam, and that it encourages more children and parents to play with no fear of getting dirty.”
