A young girl’s quest for Bukayo Saka’s autograph and why Persil destroys it

Laundry detergent brand Persil’s new spot is winning the hearts of audiences. The ad film shows a young girl’s dreams coming true when she meets her favourite football player, Bukayo Saka, and gets his autograph on her jersey.

The little girl treats the signed Arsenal jersey as her prized possession and never leaves it unattended. However, unfortunately, one of her parents forgetfully puts the jersey in the laundry, and Persil detergent takes good care of it, making the jersey spotless and squeaky clean.

Heartbroken at the sight of losing one of her most valuable assets, the young girl once again embarks on her quest to find the Arsenal and England star. She chases Saka everywhere possible across England and finally manages to catch up with him on the street. The football star finally notices the young fan, smiles at the little girl, and even signs her jersey again. This time around, the young fan also gets to hug her idol.

The ad film aims to reinforce the brand’s theme Dirt is Good and has been executed by the agency LOLA MullenLowe. The film is part of Persil’s two-year association with Arsenal’s men’s and women’s football teams, announced last year. The association further signed Arsenal superstar Bukayo Saka as the global ambassador for Dirt is Good to appeal to young audiences worldwide.

Persil, a part of the Unilever universe, is also marketed under the names OMO, Surf Excel, Breeze, Rinso, Ala, or Skip in different parts of the world. Before the film's release, the brand built anticipation with an extensive OOH campaign across the United Kingdom.

Unilever’s Dirt is Good or Daag acche hai theme, as it is known in India, is one of the most successful brand ideas in recent times. The campaign, initiated in 2003, aimed to unify all of Unilever's detergent brands with one message - Dirt is good. It also aimed at getting young kids to engage with nature and has since evolved several times. However, what has not changed over the years is Unilever’s dedication to storytelling for these brands, establishing great recall value from consumers worldwide.

Most memorable ‘Daag Ache hai’ ads from India:

The campaign has proven to boost sales for Unilever. In December 2022, sales of Unilever’s Dirt Is Good (DIG) brands surpassed the €4 billion mark globally, according to the marketer. The brands are used by at least 500 million homes worldwide daily for their laundry needs, it further claims.

In India, Surf Excel has been trying to strengthen its positioning by increasing its emphasis on premium products. Surf Excel India exceeded Rs 8,200 crore in annual sales in 2022.