HANG ON A MINUTE - WHY CAN'T MEN DO THE WASHING? MediaCom's mission: to launch Ariel Matic, a new premium detergent in the Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Its obstacle: tens of rivals and an uninterested consumer target. Its secret weapon: men. On the Indian Subcontinent, washing is seen as women's work. It doesn't matter what a woman does out of the home. If she's a director, a highly qualified professional or even a CEO, doing the washing is part of being a "good wife".

The agency identified a huge growth opportunity. Local cultures were hugely patriarchal, and washing was simply something that women did in more than 95% of households. But while women were bored with new detergents and brand messages, men were a whole new audience. By growing brand affinity and brand preference with men, Ariel could overtake its rivals. Its best weapon in the detergent war was to ask a simple question: "Why couldn't a man do the washing?" This was a powerful global truth that could not only work on the Indian subcontinent but also add value elsewhere.

A survey revealed women on the sub-continent felt that they had two jobs, at work and at home. Top news channel initiated debate around the survey. It was time for men to "SHARE THE LOAD". Laundry was used as a metaphor for all the other jobs that women also took on at home - and seek to create lasting change in centuries-old beliefs. In store, MediaCom launched a custom 'His and Her' Laundry Pack. On social, it asked men to show their commitment via a 'Wash bucket challenge', challenging them to post selfies doing the laundry

Ariel improved lives of millions of women by making laundry relevant for men: - Sales grew by 75% year on year, double the target. - The video was viewed more than 50m times globally in just 50 days - More than 2 million Indian men pledged to do the laundry - that's more men than there are in New Zealand! - Ariel's message has gone viral in 22 countries in 16 languages with Ad Recall increase at 192 Index. Please view website link for further results.

Ariel was so successful in influencing the cultural fabric that India's second biggest matrimonial portal - Jeevansaathi.com - has now made 'Sharing The Load' a key criterion for selecting the perfect life partner. Share The Load became a unique and emotional equality platform for Ariel - and will be leveraged for years to come.