DENTSU CREATIVE India team transformed traditional Kaala Teeka into natural mosquito repellent for Mortein, to help mothers in India protect their children from the evil eye while also preventing malaria.
At the 2023 Cannes Lions, Suraksha Ka Teeka won a bronze Brand Experience & Activation Lion in the category of Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility, as well as a bronze Media Lion in the category of Use of Ambient Media Small Scale.
As per the Global Fund 2020-22 Report, Malaria is one of the major public health problems in India. With children 5 times more vulnerable to this disease, their cases were witnessing a sudden outbreak—especially in the Bareilly district of India. The district alone accounted for 50% of the malaria cases in the biggest state of India, Uttar Pradesh.
Hence, Bareilly became the number one priority for Mortein, a trusted name in household insecticide, to act and achieve India’s goal of being Malaria-free by 2030.
Instead of using modern science to combat this threat, mothers continued applying two Black Dots (Kaala Teeka) on children every day. There’s a strong belief amongst Indian mothers that applying 2 Teeka (black dots) will protect their children from all harm and ward-off the evil eye.
We thought, what if they could do both? Protect them from the evil-eye, as well as Malaria?
Applying 2 Kaala Teeka (black dots) to protect children from the evil-eye is an age-old practice in Indian households.
The mention of this is also found in the 2400-year-old Mahabharata, the most revered book in Hindu religion.
But the modern evil, malaria, was now threatening the health of children, and mothers were unable to find an absolute way to protect their little ones.
So we used the old-tradition that mothers follow everyday and converted it into a life-saving solution.
REFORMULATED NATURAL MOSQUITO REPELLENT
Traditionally, the Kaala Teeka powder is produced by grinding stibnite or galena with a pestle.
We reformulated the traditional Kaala Teeka and infused it with natural oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, a natural mosquito repellent. Two dots of which would help provide protection against the evil-eye, and also create a mosquito repelling perimeter around the entire child.
It was developed to look and feel the same as the traditional Teeka. Its pack was designed using Aipan folk art, as it itself is considered to ward-off the evil-eye.
We activated the idea at the ground level in the Bareilly district through an educational program aimed to spread awareness about this product and prevention of malaria. It was spearheaded by a group of volunteers, health workers, and traditional baby maalish (massage) ladies.
4380+ children being protected from malaria
Over 750 families impacted
97% adoption rate among mothers after the initial distribution drive
SURAKSHA KA TEEKA
BRAND
MORTEIN
CREATIVE AGENCY
DENTSU CREATIVE India
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