CoolBrands meeting DSM

We follow the children on a path that leads deeper into the jungle. The trees are more than 30 metres high and at times the sun is completely blocked out by the canopy, causing a real chill in the air. There are 72 temples dating from the 9^th-century, scattered around across an area the size of New York City. But the path we’re on isn’t anything like 5^th Avenue.

Cool Sustainability

Suddenly, we hear a scream. We run up to the kids who are gathered around one of the girls. “She fell over the tree,” Chenda says, pointing at a root that just out into the path. The little girl is quietly crying as she grasps her bloody knees. I take out my water bottle and rinse away some of the blood. “We need disinfectant and plasters,” I say, but no one responds.

“This happens all time,” Chenda says. “She is my little sister and she does not see very well. The doctor says she may go blind.” I look at Chenda and at her sister, then back at Chenda. I want to ask them why and how, but realise that they probably have no answers. The day that started so beautifully is turning for the worse. Here we are, in the middle the Cambodian jungle, with a six-year-old, half-blind girl with bleeding knees.

“Do you need help?” a voice behind us asks. I look up and see a young woman with a small backpack. “I have a first-aid kit,” she says, pointing at the little girl. “By the way, my name is Diana.”

Five minutes later we continue our way to the hidden temple, with Maarten carrying the little girl on his shoulders.  “She seems to be having a very serious eye disorder”,  Diana says looking at the little girl. “It can make children go blind – and it’s very often the result of Vitamin A deficiency.”

“Wow, are you a doctor?” I ask.

“Not really,” she says. “I work for DSM and one of the things we do is produce food supplements and vitamins. We partner with the World Food Programme to fight hidden hunger. Rice is a staple food for more than half of the world’s population, yet rice contains few vitamins and minerals. DSM developed a vitamin supplement in the form of a grain of rice which is added to normal rice.”

The path meanders through the jungle. Sometimes the kids run on ahead and disappear among the foliage, only to reappear a few minutes later to tell us that the hidden temple is nearby. “I read the temple is almost completely covered by trees,” I say. “That’s where the name ‘hidden’ comes from. This is also where the Lara Croft movie Tomb Raider was shot.”

“Are you involved in the World Food Programme activities?” I ask.

CoolBrands in Cambodia

“Yes,” Diana replies. “DSM gave me the opportunity to be actively involved with the WFP. This means I can contribute to solving a global issue and make a difference in people’s lives. I’ve been on assignment to Bangladesh and Nepal, but here in Cambodia I’m just a tourist admiring the temples of Angkor.”

Tags: DSM, Meeting DSM,  CoolBrands Meeting DSM, Global Storytelling Campaign, CoolBrands Global Storytelling Campaign, CoolSustainability, Fight agains hunger, CoolBrands in Cambodia, DSM Sustainability, DSM food supplements, Lara Croft movie, hidden temple, DSM WFP, WFP, world food programme, DSM solving global issues, temple of Angkor, Angkor, fight hidden hunger, DSM fight hunger.

We’re crossing the Thames in a black cab, speeding over Waterloo Bridge. We take a right on Victoria Embankment and follow the river eastward. We turn left, then right and then left again and stop in front of the St. Paul’s Cathedral. We get out and look up at the 111-metre-high dome that has dominated the London skyline for 300 years.

CoolBrands Meeting DSM

But we’re not here to visit the cathedral. We’re here for the Transform conference, a conference on strategic rebranding cases, which is being held across the street. After picking up our guest badges at the registration desk, we sneak into the conference hall where the first speaker is just finishing a presentation on PricewaterhouseCooper’s global positioning case. “Are there any questions?“ she asks.

I take out my iPhone and open the Twitter app. “Just in time for the DSM case presentation by Jos van Haastrecht, director of company branding,” I twitter.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the world around us is changing,” Jos starts off as he launches the PowerPoint presentation. “Issues like climate change and environmental pollution are taking their toll, and this has led us to question ourselves. What about us? What is the purpose of DSM in this changing world?” Jos stops and looks at the audience as if he’s expecting an answer from them.

“Our purpose is to create brighter lives for people today and for generations to come.” Jos brings up the next slide. “And this is supported by our core value: sustainability.

Everything we do should contribute to a more sustainable world.”

“Our new brand wasn’t just about changing the logo and the corporate style or about rewriting our mission statement,” Jos continues. “We approached this holistically, with the aim to align the company strategy, culture and identity through one strong company brand.”

“We translated this into our brand promise,” he continues as he moves to a new slide.

CoolBrands Meeting Jos van Haastrecht

I take out my iPhone again and post a new Twitter update: “DSM’s new brand promise: Bright Science, Brighter Living.” I suddenly realise that Jos is not only sharing his ideas with this audience, but also to another 1,000 people or so, who are following the audience tweets.

Jos points at the screen: “These four words sum up everything we do and, more importantly, why we do it. By capturing the vast scope of our activities, the way we work together and the aspirations we have in this one simple phrase, people not only understand what we do, but they will also remember our promise and start identifying with us.”

A new slide appears on the screen, with only one word: Questions? “Are there any questions?” he says.

I raise my hand. “Am I right in saying that DSM’s purpose is to make a positive difference to people’s lives?”

Jos pauses for a few seconds and answers. “In fact, yes, I think that’s correct,” he says. “We create innovative solutions that address the key challenges facing society today.  And we are constantly seeking to make a positive contribution to the lives of people, today and for the future generations. It’s the road to Brighter Living.”

Tags: DSM, Meeting DSM, Meeting DSM in London, CoolBrands Meeting DSM, Global Storytelling Campaign, CoolBrands Global Storytelling Campaign, CoolBrands Meeting Jos van Haastrecht, DSM Transform conference, DSM case presentation, Meeting DSM Director of company branding, DSM Sustainability, CoolSustainability, DSM create brighter lives for people, DSM more sustainable world, DSM Bright Science, Brighter Living, DSM create innovative solutions, It is the road to Brighter Living, conference on strategic rebranding cases.

September 2009

November 2010

November 2011

Facts and Figures

Tree owner:        Dirk Depoorter
Tree number:     Persil SP00048
Tree name:         Oleo de Copaiba
Planting date:    September 1st 2009

Your tree is taken care of for 5 years. If your tree does not survive, because of ants, goats, cows or other natural causes, a new tree will be planted instead. This can be a tree of a different species, which then explains the different trees on your pictures.

We’re in Aline Santos Farhat´s office at the Unilever headquarters, a light and airy suite with a view over São Paolo. We’re lucky to be in town at the same time as Aline: as OMO’s Global Senior Vice President, she seems to be constantly on the move. “It’s part of the job, since OMO is present in more than 70 countries,” she says as we sit down at a large round table. “I have to liaise with all the local marketing departments and make sure that the brand messaging is in tune across the board so that the brand potential is truly unleashed.

“And what is that message?” I ask. “Last time we met you told us briefly about OMO’s ‘Dirt is Good’ campaign, but how do you develop such a concept to suit your widely diverse markets across the globe?”

CoolBrands Meeting OMO

A truly global brand

“This is exactly the question Unilever faced back in 2002,” Aline says with a smile. “We had a product with over 40 different brand names worldwide, all with their own packaging, positioning and advertising.”

She pulls up a set of slides on her iPad and shows us the different brand campaigns from the early 2000s. It is immediately clear that OMO’s message in Brazil was quite different from the brand image of Surf in India, Skip in France or Breeze in Thailand, which in turn seemed to have little to do with the brand positioning of Persil in the UK, Ala in Argentina or Rinso in Indonesia.

“Wow,” says Anouk, “talk about a challenge! I see what you mean: the brands were very diverse in their messaging.” “Yes and no,” says Aline as she shuts down the presentation and turns back to us. “Yes, because the messages were so out of tune with each other that there was no global positioning – no strong single message.”

The threat of commoditization

“But on another level, OMO and its sister brands were just detergents telling the same old story that dirt is bad, with nothing to distinguish OMO from the rest of the market. OMO was sending out more or less the same message as everyone else, using the same language and the same images. That is a great danger in this market: the threat of commoditization.”

As Aline explains this, I try to think of recent detergent campaigns and realise that I can’t clearly remember a single one – they all seem to blend into a single ad about micro particles deeply penetrating fibres and lifting away stains, and mothers hanging bright white sheets on clotheslines.

“You’re right,” says Anouk, “if you think about it, all the detergent brands’ messages were the same, promising ‘stain removal’ ‘best ever results,’ etcetera… it was all totally forgettable.”

Meeting Aline Santos Farhat

Brand with a purpose

“Exactly,” says Aline. “Unilever realised that we needed to take a different approach: we needed a purpose. We didn’t want to just be talking about ketchup stains anymore; we wanted to ladder up from a product to a human idea. We needed a relevant message that mothers would remember even after the laundry was folded away in the cupboard. Brands without a greater purpose have no future in today’s competitive market.”
“And this is where ‘Dirt is Good’ comes in!” I say. “I’m starting to see the genius of this strategy. ‘Dirt is Good’ conveys a radically different message and instantly distinguishes you from the rest of the market. It is an intriguing message from a detergent brand, so it grabs consumers’ attention.”

“That’s right, but it’s only one part of it,” says Aline with a confident smile. “Cleaning children’s clothes was nothing new, and if we just celebrated the enjoyment of getting dirty, the brand would never have become so successful. Instead, we started promoting the idea that there is some deeper benefit to be had from getting dirty. We conducted global research directly with mums to help us really understand their concerns, so we knew this idea would resonate with them. With a line that ‘There’s no Learning without Stains’, OMO started to show how getting dirty is an integral part of children’s development.”

The right to play

“We are encouraging mothers to let their kids play, explore and discover. Let them dig into the sand and the mud, make paintings, climb in trees, play football – anything that will stimulate their minds and help them grow mentally and physically. The message to mothers is: ‘You take care of your child’s development, we will take care of the laundry.’”

Dirt is Good!

“Very cool,” says Anouk, “from being ‘just another detergent’, you are now taking a stand for children’s rights and really engaging in a global debate.”

“It has been a huge challenge, but also a great success that has resonated globally in all the very diverse markets we operate in.”

“Yeah, so tell us how you translated this core concept into advertising campaigns in different markets,” Anouk says.

Aline immediately opens up another set of slides on her iPad. “In Africa and some parts of Latin America, we showed children overcoming their fears and getting dirty in the process.

“In Vietnam, the brand has such an iconic status that we managed to influence the government and change the school curriculum with our ‘Dirt is Good’ campaign. Now kids in Vietnam get recess during the school day, and therefore time to play and develop,” says Aline.

“In the UK, our PR film featured a little girl baking a cake. She gets her clothes all sticky in the process, but she is thrilled to be mixing the ingredients and decorating the cake all on her own.”

“By telling these small personal stories in local contexts, we really struck a chord with mothers and built up huge brand loyalty at a global level. Obviously, this great brand purpose has to be supported by a great detergent,” Aline concludes, as she shuts down the presentation.

CoolBrands Meeting OMO

Child Development okay, but what about the profit?

“So what has this meant for sales?” Anouk asks. “Does engaging in a deeper purpose like child development actually translate into tangible growth?”

“Absolutely, all you have to do is look at the figures: in less than a decade OMO has seen double-digit growth year on year, from less than $400 million to over $3billion. It has become one of the biggest Unilever brands.”

“Wow,” I say as I look at Anouk and then back at Aline, “the ultimate proof, if we still needed it, that dirt really is good!”

Tags: Meeting Alina Santos Farhat, Meeting OMO, CoolBrands Meeting Alina Santos Farhat, CoolBrands Meeting OMO,  Global Storytelling Campaign, Storytelling, OMO  sustainability, OMO Brazil, OMO, Sustainability, Cool Sustainability, People Planet Profit, CoolBrands Global, Senior Global Vice-president for OMO at Unilever, Unilever Detergents, OMO Detergents, Detergents, Dirt is good!, Revolution in detergent land, Dirt, Let them get dirty, Children play, Children play outside, OMO takes care, Dirt is good, Philosophy, OMO wakes up mothers, OMO product, Playing, Children Playing, Exploring, Detergent brand, Walk in the park, laundry, message to mothers, stains, ketchup stains, Cleaning children’s clothes, enjoyment of getting dirty, the right to play.

We leave our pousada just after breakfast and hail a taxi at the street corner. “To the Parque da Luz next to the Pinacoteca,” I say in my best Portuguese. The taxi turns left, then right, then left again, winding through the streets of Jardims Paulista. “I love this part of town,” Maarten says as he looks out of the window. “It doesn’t feel like we’re in a metropolis of 20 million inhabitants.”

Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the Pinacoteca, Brazil’s oldest and perhaps most important museum, which is housed in an impressive classical building. This is where we are meeting Aline Santos Farhat, the senior global brand vice-president for OMO detergents. We find Aline in the museum café, sitting on the terrace overlooking the park. “Instead of meeting in my office, I wanted to bring you here, to tell you my story in the right setting,” Aline says, pointing at the large trees in the park. We look at the trees and back at Aline. “Is Omo into tree washing these days?” Anouk asks.

CoolBrands Meeting Aline Santos Farhat

Aline laughs. “No, not the trees, it’s about the children playing behind the trees,” she says, and indeed, in the distance we see kids running around in the shade of the trees.

“A few years ago, we were sending out more or less the same message as all the other detergent brands: ‘Dirt is bad, stains are bad’. We were using the same language and the same images as everyone else. We realised this was dangerous: there was a threat of commoditization – OMO was becoming ‘just’ another brand. Besides, we didn’t want to just be talking about ketchup stains anymore; we needed a message that mothers would remember even after the laundry was folded away in the cupboard. We realised that brands without a greater purpose have no future in today’s competitive market.”

“So Unilever came up with the ‘Dirt is Good’ concept, which was a revolution in detergent land. Dirt is usually the enemy. We started encouraging parents to let their children play outside more and discover the world. ‘Let them get dirty,’ we told them, ‘OMO will take care of it.’”

Aline points at the trees – or rather at the children behind the trees. “I remember my own childhood: I played outside with my brothers all the time, climbing trees, building tree houses, running around, feeling free and getting the opportunity to explore the world around me. This is not only important for kids, but also for the adults they will become.”

The São Paulo sun is shining as we leave the café and stroll into the park. I watch the kids running around and ask Aline: “So ‘Dirt is Good’ has become a philosophy?”

Dirt is good!

She pauses for a few seconds. “You could say that it has outgrown OMO as a product and has become a wake-up call for mothers.”

“Using OMO as a vehicle, we started spreading the message about the importance of playing and exploring – the physical and emotional development that go with it. Children have the right to play, to be children,” says Aline. “Of course, in the end, we are a detergent brand and I have to make sure we grow our business, but we also want to make sure that we have a purpose in society.”

We walk back towards the Pinacoteca and I turn to Aline. “It is a most interesting challenge you have, creating a higher purpose for a detergent,” I say. “It probably isn’t a walk in the park at all.”

Tags: Meeting Alina Santos Farhat, Meeting OMO, CoolBrands Meeting Alina Santos Farhat, CoolBrands Meeting OMO,  Global Storytelling Campaign, Storytelling, OMO  sustainability, OMO Brazil, OMO, Sustainability, Cool Sustainability, People Planet Profit, CoolBrands Global, Senior Global Vice-president for OMO at Unilever, Unilever Detergents, OMO Detergents, Detergents, Dirt is good!, Revolution in detergent land, Dirt, Let them get dirty, Children play, Children play outside, OMO takes care, Dirt is good, Philosophy, OMO wakes up mothers, OMO product, Playing, Children Playing, Exploring, Detergent brand, Walk in the park, laundry, message to mothers, stains.

September 2009

November 2010

November 2011

Facts and Figures

Abdullah Yildiz

Tree owner:                    Abdullah Yildiz
Tree number:                 SP00143
Tree name:                     Pitanga
Planting date:                September 1st 2009

Date of birth:                 July 18th 1983
Country of residence:   The Netherlands
Works at:                        Henkel Benelux

Your tree is taken care of for 5 years. If your tree does not survive, because of ants, goats, cows or other natural causes, a new tree will be planted instead. This can be a tree of a different species, which then explains the different trees on your pictures.

The resulting group of avant-garde jewels transcends the concept of jewellery as objects, and creates an ensemble of unique artistic interpretation. Each piece in this collection expresses fluidity of movement, and has its origins in a complex world where imbalance can be more important than planned, rehearsed steps.

Roberto sits back and clearly remembers some of the events during the creation of this collection: “Expressing the energy of dance in a solid form required a new approach to tri-dimensionality and presented a unique dilemma when working with metal. We had so much material to work from, to work with…textures, depth and movement that are dynamic, ever-flowing… but needed to be captured.” He adds: “This project required a level of intuition, of feeling and improvisation we had not experienced before”.

Enduringly innovative

Roberto continues to innovate. With his collections, his target groups and his technology. He is constantly on the look out for ways to change the industry, including new gemstone cutting and polishing techniques. Time and time again, you’ll find his rethinking established processes and relearning centuries-old techniques from different points of view. With his courage, innovative strength and creativity, Roberto Stern has turned the world of jewellery upside down. We can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

Tags:  Meeting Roberto Stern, CoolBrands meeting H.Stern, CoolBrnds meeting Roberto Stern, Meeting H.Stern, Meeting, Roberto Stern, Global Storytelling Campaign, Storytelling, H. Stern sustainability, H. Stern, Sustainability, Cool Sustainability, People Planet Profit, CoolBrands Global, H.Stern jewelry in Brazil, Roberto Stern innovative jewelers, jewelry craftsmanship, Brazilian coloured stones H.Stern, first jeweler in Brazil, H.Stern innovator, H.Stern jeweler, H.Stern in Rio, CoolBrands meeting H.Stern in Rio, H.Stern jewellery in Brazil, H.Stern, Roberto Stern, innovative jewelers, jewellery craftsmanship, brazilian coloured stones H.Stern, first jeweller in Brazil, gemstones, H.Stern innovator, high-quality jewelry design, Roberto Stern, girl power, purchase jewelry in Rio, H. Stern Athena necklace, H.Stern Angelina Jolie necklace,H.Stern House of design, Catherine Deneuve Collection, Muse of Bunuel’s ‘Belle du Jour’, meeting Oscar Niemeyer,DNA of the brand, H.Stern innovation.

“How did the collection come to be?” Anouk wants to know. Roberto explains: “After a detailed study of Alice’s universe, our designers decided that the film’s underworld and its gothic mood would be our source of inspiration. Moving away from the obvious, well-known characters, we chose natural elements and spectacular creatures to give shape to five rings that follow the intrinsic organic forms to the creative DNA of the brand.”

“We developed the pieces by starting from the natural elements, brought to the jewels with tremendous detail and demanding intricate workmanship and incredible patience. Dozens of versions were made before we reached the final result.”

Anouk: “I have seen the rings. They’re rings unlike I have ever seen before.” Roberto: “That is exactly what we wanted to achieve. In the film, Alice changes size several times, and so there are two sizes of ring: ‘human dimension’ and extraordinary dimension’.”

The latter really are remarkable – enormous sculptures that go beyond anything known in terms of jewellery, measuring 10 cm in height. Yet, in our humble opinion, no more extraordinary than merely having the idea in the first place. How many times have you said to yourself “I could have invented that?” Fact is, it never was you. It’s the pioneers out there that shape our worlds.

Tags: Meeting Roberto Stern, CoolBrands meeting H.Stern, CoolBrnds meeting Roberto Stern, Meeting H.Stern, Meeting, Roberto Stern, Global Storytelling Campaign, Storytelling, H. Stern sustainability, H. Stern, Sustainability, Cool Sustainability, People Planet Profit, CoolBrands Global, H.Stern jewelry in Brazil, Roberto Stern innovative jewelers, jewelry craftsmanship, Brazilian coloured stones H.Stern, first jeweler in Brazil, H.Stern innovator, H.Stern jeweler, H.Stern in Rio, CoolBrands meeting H.Stern in Rio, H.Stern jewellery in Brazil, H.Stern, Roberto Stern, innovative jewelers, jewellery craftsmanship, brazilian coloured stones H.Stern, first jeweller in Brazil, gemstones, H.Stern innovator, high-quality jewelry design, Roberto Stern, girl power, purchase jewelry in Rio, H. Stern Athena necklace, H.Stern Angelina Jolie necklace,H.Stern House of design, Catherine Deneuve Collection, Muse of Bunuel’s ‘Belle du Jour’, meeting Oscar Niemeyer,DNA of the brand.

The collection that really brought H.Stern into the media frontline was the 1980s launch of the Catherine Deneuve Collection, inspired by the unforgettable muse of Bunuel’s ‘Belle du Jour’. Within no time, the jewels and the muse’s diamond-set initials ‘CD’ were seen on the necks, ears and wrists of stylish women around the world. This was the start of what was to become a huge success story.

Courageously curvaceous
Oscar Niemeyer is Brazil’s most famous architect and is considered one of the most influential names in international modern architecture. The architect never tires of repeating that “architecture is of no interest, what is of interest is life”, and his stunning architecture is defined by the architect’s own style – the lightness of curved forms that create spaces full of harmony, grace and elegance. It was the basis for a beautiful marriage between two hugely different disciplines. Roberto: “Just like yourselves, I was impressed by meeting Oscar Niemeyer in person and getting to understand more about his work. What I like most in his work is the way he plays with curves. He is right, we do not find straight lines in nature, so we concluded we both like asymmetry and irregular contours, which are more human and natural.”

It was the first time Niemeyer approved a collection of jewellery created in his honour, and based on his own sketches and curved lines. The pieces in the H.Stern Collection by Oscar Niemeyer are named after some of his works and famous projects. Find them on the net. They’re stunning down. We can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

Tags:  Meeting Roberto Stern, CoolBrands meeting H.Stern, CoolBrnds meeting Roberto Stern, Meeting H.Stern, Meeting, Roberto Stern, Global Storytelling Campaign, Storytelling, H. Stern sustainability, H. Stern, Sustainability, Cool Sustainability, People Planet Profit, CoolBrands Global, H.Stern jewelry in Brazil, Roberto Stern innovative jewelers, jewelry craftsmanship, Brazilian coloured stones H.Stern, first jeweler in Brazil, H.Stern innovator, H.Stern jeweler, H.Stern in Rio, CoolBrands meeting H.Stern in Rio, H.Stern jewellery in Brazil, H.Stern, Roberto Stern, innovative jewelers, jewellery craftsmanship, brazilian coloured stones H.Stern, first jeweller in Brazil, gemstones, H.Stern innovator, high-quality jewelry design, Roberto Stern, girl power, purchase jewelry in Rio, H. Stern Athena necklace, H.Stern Angelina Jolie necklace,H.Stern House of design, Catherine Deneuve Collection, Muse of Bunuel’s ‘Belle du Jour’, meeting Oscar Niemeyer,DNA of the brand.