Summary / objectives

In 2006 UNICEF and Pampers united to launch the first 1 pack = 1 vaccine campaign to help eliminate Maternal and Newborn Tetanus (MNT) worldwide.

Background

Even thirteen years on, 53 million women worldwide are at risk from MNT, a fatal yet preventable disease, and the life of a newborn baby is tragically claimed every 15 minutes.

Both Pampers and UNICEF are dedicated to the well-being of children, so their brands were aligned.

The concept is simple: for every pack of Pampers bought, a vaccine is provided to a mother or baby in the developing world at risk of contracting MNT.

Special characteristics

The partnership is now celebrating its thirteenth successful year and everything that the brand and charity have been able to achieve together. During that time, mums and babies around the world have helped Pampers and UNICEF to eliminate MNT in twenty countries and protected an over half a million newborn babies. With only 18 countries left, they’re halfway towards the goal of global elimination. 

Will Zeck, Head of the Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Unit at UNICEF commented:

‘Thanks to the support of Pampers and parents, we have been able to tick yet another country off our list of nations threatened by MNT. Although this disease is one of the most painful ways for a baby to die, it is easily preventable. Our challenge is to ensure the women living in poor and remote communities across the globe have access to this life saving vaccine, to ensure it can’t be passed onto their newborns. Just one Pampers UNICEF pack helps us do this – it helps us save lives.’

As Linda Scott, emeritus DP world chair for entrepreneurship and innovation at Oxford University says:

‘[this is an] historic innovation and a humanitarian breakthrough, demonstrating a new approach to fighting global problems and the roles companies can play.’

In 2017 the campaign celebrated amazing mums and babies who, just using and wearing Pampers, have helped transform the lives of other mums and babies around the world. From October to December of that year, every time a specially branded pack of Pampers was purchased, Pampers donated the cost of one vaccine to help UNICEF in the fight against MNT.

Results

The result has been that 100 million women and babies across the world have been vaccinated and protected from serious illnesses, 500,000 babies’ lives have been saved and MNT has been eliminated from twenty countries, as you can read here. That’s a huge success.

Final notes

Note: This campaign was presented at I Wish I’d Thought Of That (IWITOT) London 2019 by Amy Hutchings from Open. 

Amy said this in her presentation:

‘Becoming a new mum to my daughter Luna has brought huge changes in my life and means I’ve developed relationships with new brands. Starting with Pampers. Luna may be cute, but what comes out of her isn’t! I worked out I’m going to spend around a grand over the next two years with Pampers. Here’s a little secret: Pampers are not very good, which means lot of money spent on something subpar.

So why I am I doing it? Because every time I buy a pack they turn a crap job (get it?) into something lovely through their one pack = one vaccine partnership with UNICEF.

I think ‘one pack = one vaccine’ is so special. It’s a brilliant example of a brand and a charity coming together to make the world a better place:

• It makes everyone happy
• It looks for audience synergy
• It makes giving easy
• It keeps things simple and tangible
• It’s guilt-free fundraising
• The brand needs you

I didn’t choose Pampers – I chose UNICEF. And with the right partnership, I might choose your organisation as well.’