Unilever’s Latest Campaign Adds Vitality to the North

Surf Excel, one of Unilever Sri Lanka’s key brands, is taking its concept of ‘Dirt is Good’ to the north, where children are most in need of a creative outlet to let their true talent shine through.

The concept of ‘Dirt is Good’ recognizes that getting dirty is an important part of a child’s development, as it encourages children to learn through experiencing the world around them, express their creativity and enrich their talents through simply having the freedom to get dirty. The assurance made by the brand to all mothers is simple; give your child the freedom to learn, develop and achieve their full potential, because Surf Excel can remove the stains and grime that come at the expense of this freedom to learn.   
In the north and east of Sri Lanka where the ravages of war and an interrupted education have hindered generations of children from achieving their potential, this assurance is one many anxious parents will welcome.

But while mothers may be glad they do not have to waste time washing their children’s stained clothing, they will also be assured by Surf Excel’s commitment to developing schools. Surf  Excel with its ‘Karai Nalladai Seyyum’ initiative, meaning ‘dirt does good’, is committed to addressing the needs of several schools within this community which, due to the past conflict, need renovating or are lacking basic facilities and is thereby creating a barrier for children to learn, grow and develop. 

 Giving the schools what they need

Surf Excel’s ‘Dirt is good, doing good’ initiative aims to change this status quo in eight schools across the region. The campaign will aim at catering to the specific needs of these eight schools in the Mannar and Vavuniya districts. Construction on several of the schools will be completed by the first weeks of June.

Not only do these children need the freedom to play during the interval or paint during their art period, sometimes, the most important comfort in their day-to-day lives could be the simple joy of drinking pure water. With these needs in mind, Unilever has undertaken not only to create art rooms and play grounds in these schools, but also in some instances to drill wells, install tanks and taps for the children to have fresh water to drink. In several instances, the children spend most of their interval manually pumping and transporting drinking water.

Encouraging creativity

Childhood is fertile ground for creativity. However, in several instances the children of the north and east have had to forego the simple pleasure of being a child due to the tense situation around them. These children must now be allowed the freedom to dream, to learn and to be appreciated. Their creativity must be unleashed and they must be provided with the platform and the facilities to set it free. This is why Surf Excel has stayed true to its mission of unleashing the potential of children and has embarked on this journey.
 
The Unilever mission

With the motive of adding vitality to your life, Unilever Sri Lanka has always taken the interests and well-being of the people of Sri Lanka close to its heart. For over seven decades this iconic company has been dedicated to meeting the day-to-day needs in the everyday lives of the people and it has always conducted its operations with a strong sense of social responsibility. With the belief that success can only be achieved through the highest standards of corporate behavior, Unilever Sri Lanka has always been conscious of the people it works with, the communities it touches and the environment it impacts. The Surf Excel campaign is one such initiative within this mission.