Omo announces 'Dirt is Good' campaign

The campaign is geared at changing people's attitudes towards dirt, highlighting that getting messy allows children to learn, socialize and get some much-needed exercise.

The launch took place today at Ibn Batutta Mall in the presence of kids enjoying themselves with creative and fun filled activities. Iain Potter, Unilever's Vice President of Marketing, Home and Personal Care, North Africa and Middle East, and renowned educational psychologist, Ruba Tabari, who is an expert in child development issues, offered an in-depth brief into the campaign and provided some interesting insights on child development to media representatives and parents alike.

"This campaign, which has met with great success in other parts of the world, is now being rolled out simultaneously across the GCC," Potter said at the launch. He highlighted: "Omo's global success has been largely due to the fact that "Dirt is Good" is not simply a catchphrase for us. It represents the core of our brand, supported by patent-protected technology that gives children the freedom to get dirty, safe in the knowledge that Omo will remove those stubborn stains."

According to a global academic study commissioned by Omo, "an obesity epidemic is now taking off", both in the developed and developing world. Out of the 300 million people in the world who suffer from obesity, one in three lives in a developing country. In China, 20% of the population is classified as obese.

In Brazil and Colombia, the figure hovers around 40% - a level comparable to a number of European countries.* According to published figures in the GCC, the rate of obesity is estimated as high as 70% for women and 50% for men.**
Games and sport offer us an opportunity to shake off our sedentary lifestyles, immobile in front of the TV, game consoles and computers.

The Omo academic study also confirms that many activities that are necessary for our growth and development, for our well being and happiness, involve getting dirty. Children's exploration and play promotes their flexible adaptation to the world they will meet, their ability realistically to appraise risks and to balance proper independence with social understanding. The study concludes that while it is true that dirt can be a carrier of pathogens (microbes which are often harmful), this needs to be balanced by getting in touch with the real world in order to learn about it (especially as children), adapt to it and flourish in it. Exposure to some microbes in dirt is also needed to create a healthy balanced immune system as our immune systems have evolved to expect this.

"Too many children here in the GCC spend too much time watching TV and playing video games," commented Tabari. "There are many reasons for kids' sedentary lifestyle, including safety issues and academic pressures, as well as lack of awareness of the importance of interacting with their outdoor surroundings. We learn through our senses and touch, which in particular provides an important input to the development of a child," concluded Tabari.

Omo's new packaging, which features the "Dirt Is Good" logo and slogan, is now visible on shelves across the GCC. The "Dirt is Good" advertising campaign, running in print and on TV across the Gulf countries, has already been launched.

The campaign will be supported with various local activities and events throughout the year.