The antibacterial market in Brazil is saturated and required a deep exploration of unconventional ways to communicate the Protex and Play creative idea.

In order to develop the concept, we had to fully understand bacteria—where it lives, how it spreads and how it behaves. Understanding the many dimensions of these organisms and how they are studied scientifically was key to creating bacteria that resembles kids’ toys. This understanding allowed us to expose bacteria on objects that children interact with daily.

From a crafting perspective, it was crucial to show the bacteria through a scientific lens. We began the process with an every day object that kids interact with, such as a soccer ball or a toy block, and carefully built layers around the object to simulate natural bacteria growth in an organic way.

Specifically for outdoor materials, we recreated a medical lightbox and used it as a background for the illustrations. Outdoor materials were present in public environments where people are most exposed to bacteria, thus making the media impression highly relevant.

The final outcome was an integrated campaign that brought to life the ubiquitous nature of bacteria and the severity of its impact. Zooming in on the invisible allowed us to successfully articulate the importance of Protex for a mother and her family, using minimal copy and impactful visuals.

Protex not only maintains its leadership in the market, but also elevated its campaign positioning and tone to embody a more scientific approach. The recreation of a medical lightbox in a public area was attention-grabbing disruptive among the target audience, often described as eye-opening. The campaign generated impact across the board, and helped position Protex as the hero product to combat the danger of bacteria in the home.