According to the World Health Organisation, New Delhi has the most polluted air in the world. Smog and pollution stop people breathing as freely and deeply as they could. And it blocks them from truly enjoying their much-loved outdoor activities.

As a step to help outdoor enthusiasts breathe better, we developed a sponsorship between Otrivin and the Amity Gurgaon Half Marathon, which took place in the outskirts of New Delhi on April 3rd. Otrivin helped temporarily reduce pollution by using mist cannons to extract suspended particles in the air before and during the race. Much like how rain cleans the air, we made it rain very locally, and more efficiently, to create a temporary corridor of healthy air on the running track.

This execution represented a shift in thinking for the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry. Rather than standing on the sidelines with conservative communication, we took the benefit of

We teamed up with the GSK human performance lab and the renowned Amity University, organiser of India’s popular Amity Gurgaon Half Marathon, on the outskirts of New Delhi.

In the lead up to the event, we bought mist cannons with Otrivin branding, making the cannons look similar to our highly recognisable nasal spray.

These cannons are used in mining & construction industry. We refined them by making the nozzles even smaller, so they could take pollution particles till pm2,5 out. Before the race we sprayed the running track several times & measured the air quality. During the race we drove a mobile unit five minutes ahead of every starting group (there's a kids' race, 5k, 10k & open race) to optimise the impact for every single runner.

This action improved the quality of the air for the 6000 runners, making them aware Otrivin is committed to helping people breathe better.

• Achievement against targets: First results show a removal of pollution and reduced dust particles (sized PM2,5 to PM100) from entering the respiratory system. A 93% decrease average was measured on key locations.

• Engagement: We helped 6000 people breathe better and experience a better and healthier run. Despite the circumstances (Delhi summer temperatures), no respiratory emergencies occurred.

• Visibility: As one of the main sponsors of the marathon, we were highly visible: branded cannons, 30 banners, logos on the bibs of runners and logos on the start/finish.

• Reach: We reached out to an estimated online audience of 400k people within the first days,and got several minutes of national coverage on India's most viewed news channel NDTV, reaching millions of viewers.

* Impact on brand awareness, behavior change or business results couldn’t be measured yet.

Conclusion: this is a new way to make outdoor events healthier &more enjoyable