Tis’ the season to care for our fellow man – and after the year we’ve all had, this is more important than ever. That’s why this Christmas, JDO is using its creativity as a force for good to shine a light on hygiene poverty.

As the pandemic took its toll across the nation and the world, many of us were swept into poverty. The numbers are simply staggering – over 14 million people in the UK, including more than a quarter of our children, are suffering from scarcity. Too many of us have been forced to prioritise how we spend our limited funds and, for a third of us, that means making the difficult choice to go without basic hygiene essentials. Being caught in a situation like this can have long-lasting negative impact on peoples’ wellbeing and on our society as a whole.

Inspired by the belief that hygiene poverty is a problem that we can tackle together, JDO has created a personal care concept called ‘>Soap’ – an ethically-sourced soap brand that illustrates how, as a society, we are greater than hygiene poverty. >Soap advocates change through community, cleanliness and compassion.

With simple elegance and ethical materials, the design for >Soap features a powerful die-cut of a greater-than sign, boldly highlighting the brand’s cause. The outer packaging is made with 100% recycled card, and the soap itself is wrapped in luxurious paper printed designed with a gold-leaf pattern of abstract soap lather. This balance of sophistication and sustainability reinforces the brand’s overall belief that hygiene is linked to the wellbeing of people, and how it should be available to all.

“By taking a premium approach to convey the brand’s purpose, the design for >Soap highlights how feeling clean should not be a privilege,” comments Fiona Florence, Managing Director at JDO. “In breaking down the barriers between us and them, >Soap communicates that we are all in this together and that together, we can achieve more. Ultimately, it’s more than a bar of soap – it’s about how we take care of each other.”

“Feeling clean should not be a privilege and yet there are millions of people who cannot afford to purchase hygiene essentials,” comments Edgar Penollar, CEO at The Hygiene Bank. “We are grateful to JDO for their support of The Hygiene Bank and hope that their >Soap concept inspires people to see just how important hygiene is to the wellbeing of people, and how they can help to make difference.”>Soap is not about hope, it is about action.

This Christmas, JDO will be donating their 2020 Christmas fund to The Hygiene Bank here in the UK as well as The Right to Shower in the US – but this is just the beginning of their commitment to empower and unite people to fight hygiene poverty. Not only is the agency looking to produce >Soap, but JDO hopes to collaborate with influencers within the creative industry to raise awareness of the cause throughout 2021 and beyond. If you’d like to join JDO in the mission to end hygiene poverty, please share this story and donate: https://www.justgiving.com/thehygienebank