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March 2008 - Strategy Magazine
Upfront

Hammering home baking soda's eco-friendly side

by Annette Bourdeau
page 8

Seems everything has its own awareness week these days, so why not baking soda?

Arm & Hammer, a brand of Mississauga-based Church & Dwight Canada, declared "Baking Soda Awareness Week" last month, and took over a mansion in downtown Toronto to demonstrate to media the many ways the product has been used over the years. The event, called "Baking Soda: the Untold Story," featured period-based rooms like a 1840s tea room and an '80s bedroom (complete with Wham! records, stinky sneakers and a Rubik's Cube) to illustrate baking soda in action.

The awareness week, crafted with Toronto-based PR agency Veritas Communications, was a response to a recent Pollara poll commissioned by Arm & Hammer that indicated 76% of Canadians say they want to be more eco-friendly, yet only 14% use natural cleaning products. So the company saw an opportunity to raise awareness about its natural cleaning abilities.

A registered nurse, Julia Liska, demonstrated how baking soda can be used as a safe, non-toxic cleaner, deodorizer and hygiene item. "We want to show that baking soda can be used for personal care and household cleaning," explains Vivian Mah, marketing manager at Arm & Hammer. "With the house, you're actually able to see it. It's easier to remember when you experience it."

Part of the experience was a '90s-themed bathroom showcased Arm & Hammer deodorant, baking soda toothpaste and nostalgia-inducing magazines featuring the likes of Mulder and Scully and the babes of Melrose Place. And the event did pique the curiosity of reporters from CFRB, CTV, Wish and the Toronto Star.

Mah says they'll roll out an integrated campaign to build on baking soda's eco-friendly cleaning qualities over the next year.

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