When the COVID pandemic hit, K-Citymarket wanted to make safety its number one priority as a grocery store for the whole family during exceptional circumstances. But what role can a convenience store chain play in exceptional circumstances?
People didn’t want to be directed to grocery shopping, but needed a message that was appropriate for the exceptional time, relevant to the brand. K-Citymarket goes beyond peoples’ grocery needs, they want to help them in their everyday lives. That’s why a more suitable approach for K-Citymarket is to talk about fun, self-activating things.
When the importance of handwashing rose to unprecedented levels, the responsibility of parents to monitor, encourage and teach their children to wash their hands would take more and more strength. So handwashing should be done right away, and in many families it is a boring duty. But how to encourage hand hygiene without preaching and intimidation?
K-CITYMARKET TACKLED HAND HYGIENE AGILE AND BRAND-LIKE:
FUN, WARMLY AND FAMILY FIRST.
The strategic insight was to utilize the existing earworm, Kalalaulu, which children already love, and thus continue the legacy of it. The earworm would not only help get the message across, i.e. inspire and activate families with children to wash their hands, but at the same time would also build K-Citymarket’s brand persona as a responsible helper for families with children.
Since Kalalaulu had already made a splash within the general public, especially children, the familiar melody combined with the re-animated fish and words would get children excited about the campaign. And about hand washing.
The handwashing song was accompanied by an easy-to-learn handwashing choreography that illustrated what an effective handwashing routine looks like.
The words of the fish song were updated –
they became encouraging hand hygiene:
Käsipesulaulu lyrics translated:
When you come from outside
then wash your hands.
When you read a book on loan,
then wash your hands.
Wash your hands,
when you see dirt on them.
It’s good to remember this next verse.
Wash, wash, wash, wash, wash your hands.
When you’ve picked your nose,
but you don’t do it anymore
and you don’t want to collect viruses on your fingers.
So, wash your hands under water,
rub them with soap.
Dry your hands with a paper towel.
Wash, wash, wash, wash, wash your hands.
Wash your hands
according to these instructions.
Or even better – ask the whole family
to join you in washing.
Water and soap,
soap on the surface
dry your hands with paper
not on your pants or chest.
Where are you from, what do you read, with a scraggly finger, a crooked knee, a sandbox or a village…
Wash your hands!
The handwashing animation was published both organically and in paid advertising for on K-Citymarket and K-Food’s own social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). In addition, paid media channels included Snapchat, Spotify, TV, programmatic and TikTok. However, at the core of the media strategy was its TikTok suitability.
Creating your own choreographies to familiar songs is commonplace for young audiences, which was the best way to spread this kind of message – especially when the Handwashing Song was turned into a TikTok dance challenge. The instructions for the handwashing choreography were shared with TikTok influencers, who in turn challenged their followers to create their own Handwashing choreography.
And soon it took over all social media in Finland. People started tagging each other to challenge eachother to do the handwashing choreography.
