Sunlight® is helping Canadians Shine™

Inspired by the selfless good deeds of kind-hearted Canadians, the makers of SUNLIGHT® laundry detergent are helping community heroes fund their initiatives while highlighting their remarkable stories. This is SUNLIGHT® laundry detergent’s second campaign with global Toronto-based creative brand experience company, Juniper Park\TBWA.

This work builds upon the campaign insight: when you have help with the little things, like laundry, you can focus on the big things that matter most. Once the first SUNLIGHT® laundry detergent campaign wrapped up, the team began looking for other spaces for the brand to continue helping Canadians. In collaboration with the Juniper Park team, they identified examples of charitable people and programs the brand could possibly partner with, which led them to Nancy and her laundromat initiative. Sharing Nancy’s story was a clear next step in showing the impactful difference Canadians can make in their communities, and how SUNLIGHT® laundry detergent can assist.

“Few categories are as steeped in conventions, and Sunlight had an appetite to break through the clutter to really connect with their customers on an emotional level.” - Bill Chamness, VP of Strategy, Juniper Park\TBWA.

To rewind a bit, back in 2020, Toronto laundromat owner Nancy Seto noticed one of her customers wasn’t drying their freshly washed clothes due to financial constraints. Nancy was moved to action when she realized that the choice between spending the extra money on drying and being able to support their families was a reality for many Canadians. Starting with paying for the customer’s drying, she extended the offer to create a free laundry access program for anyone in need.

As a small business owner who is helping people in her community shine, Nancy’s story was the perfect fit with Sunlight’s brand values, as well as their laundry product. The campaign was built to help Nancy continue, while highlighting her role as a real, local Canadian hero. As this idea grew, it became clear to the makers of SUNLIGHT® laundry detergent that they could use their platform and fame to help more Canadians doing amazing things in their communities.

“We had extensive conversations with consumers, going way deeper than just laundry. Below the surface we uncovered a few insights where SUNLIGHT® laundry detergent can have a meaningful role.” - Bill Chamness, VP of Strategy, Juniper Park\TBWA.

Moving past helping one Canadian, the makers of SUNLIGHT® laundry detergent expanded their initiative to lend a hand to 10 more deserving people. In a contest hosted by The Morning Show, SUNLIGHT® brand knew they could find more Canadian heroes like Nancy. Calling on viewers to nominate these people, SUNLIGHT® brand is giving away thousands of dollars to help deserving recipients make a bigger impact in the communities they serve.

The creative approach aimed to get SUNLIGHT® laundry detergent away from category conventions. Rather than shooting an ad that spoke to effectiveness, the team tapped into the emotional side of their product.

“After meeting with Nancy, we stripped back on the production bells and whistles. We really wanted her incredible selflessness, and commitment to her community to shine through, and sharing the reality of the scene and situation was key.” Neil Walker-Wells, Executive Creative Director, Juniper Park\TBWA

While preparing for this campaign, the makers of SUNLIGHT® laundry detergent spoke to the people Nancy had helped. They wanted to get the full authentic story and ensure the campaign would relate to customers, feel good, and show the real impact of their support. They knew a story with this much power could launch a nationwide initiative to reward others, moving beyond laundry to help Canadians truly shine.

“Our SUNLIGHT® brand is near and dear to Canadian hearts, having been in homes for over 100 years, and we wanted to give back to the community that we serve. We are proud to support local heroes making a difference in Canada, and we’re glad that we can contribute to making Canadians shine every day.” - Heidi Chiu, Head of Marketing, Henkel Canada.

The campaign launched across Canada on August 14th, 2023, with TV, Digital and Social. It will be live until October 15th, 2023, for the contest and they will be celebrating winners into 2024.