Besides being the perfect pal to cuddle with, Buddy is a Trojan horse. When its paw is pressed, Buddy starts chatting, and hidden within its banter are words of loving advice only a best friend would give. Because kids love to press his speech module over and over, they learn to wash their hands before eating, and after going to the bathroom. Advice that would fall on deaf ears if delivered as a lecture.

Completely unbranded and in a soothing colour, Buddy is an attractive soft toy that fits perfectly into the world of a child.

Buddy is hypoallergenic, and washable, making him a safe and trusted friend that will keep children entertained.

Children love pressing his paw to hear him speak, so they do it over and over, hearing his encouragement to wash their hands as well.

Buddy even comes with activity cards that make kids use their hands in play, then encourage them to wash up after.

A total of 1,000 Buddys were distributed through clinics, schools and community organisations in some of the most rural parts of India.

Buddy helped further the brand’s mission to save lives through the invention of a new medium designed specifically for their target audience.

1,000 Buddys were created for this purpose. Every single consumer was eager to hold Buddy and press his paw to hear his message, over and over again. They then took Buddy home for more hours of play and exposure to the message.

Local doctor Dr Shobit Agarwal, M.B.B.S observed this about Buddy: “Lack of handwashing can lead to the loss of lives. Being exposed to handwashing messages time and again helps kids to remember to wash their hands and save their lives.”