In 2009, over 85 countries celebrated the day including 23 Lifebuoy markets.
- Bangladesh: the Lifebuoy team worked closely with eight partners including UNICEF and Save the Children to execute two high-profile Guinness World Records. The partnership organised 22,340 students to wash their hands with soap at the same time to attempt to beat their current Guinness World Record. An impactful PR campaign generated coverage across three key news channels including BDnews24.com, Banglavision and RTV.
- Cambodia: Lifebuoy teams organised school events across the country to generate coverage in three national newspapers and four popular consumer magazines.
- Eastern and Southern Africa: handwashing activities took place in Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and Uganda which generated coverage in print, TV and radio.
- India: 15,000 children washed their hands at the same time to attempt to break the Guinness World Record. The event was co-ordinated by Lifebuoy, WHO and the Indian government.
- Indonesia: 1,609,000 people participated in Lifebuoy activities on Global Handwashing Day. The team generated $284,200 worth of PR coverage.
- Malaysia: the Lifebuoy team partnered with local charity, Yellow House, to launch the Germ Fighter Drawing Contest across several media channels.
- Vietnam: The global ‘Germ Fighter Drawing Contest’ was launched. To date, 78,000 entries have been received by the team. In addition, the team organised a Guinness World Record attempt generating over 20 articles in the media.
- Employee Engagement: Throughout Unilever offices worldwide, events took place which included a crowd turning out for speeches by Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, Myriam Sidibe, Global Social Mission Manager and Dr Sandy Cairncross, Professor of Environmental Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In Vietnam, all employees received a text message reminder about Global Handwashing Day, and employees in Kenya were asked to wash their hands with Lifebuoy soap as they entered the building.
