OVERVIEW
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
When Tide partnered with Agency 503 for the 2024 National Student Advertising Competition, the challenge was clear: inspire young consumers to wash their laundry in cold water. At first glance, it seems like a simple behavior shift, but the real task was to connect with Millennials and Gen Z on a cultural and emotional level.
Ivory Soap Eco Soluion
View Next Case Study
What's Cool To You?
TEAM
Team Project
TIMELINE
12 weeks
SOFTWARE
Illustrator & Photoshop
ROLE
Co Lead Graphic Designer
Most people know Tide as a trusted household name, but few realize that Tide is specially formulated to work better in cold water. At the same time, research showed that cold-water washing saves energy, reduces carbon emissions, and lowers utility bills. The issue wasn’t the product it was awareness.
Through surveys and street interviews, our team uncovered a surprising truth: many 18–35 year olds already used cold water occasionally, but didn’t connect the action to environmental impact or sustainability. They weren’t against the behavior, they just hadn’t been given a reason to feel good about it.
RESEARCH INSIGHTS
Over 250 surveys revealed:
66% already used Tide.
43% believed cold water worked as well as hot.
58% said they’d be more likely to buy Tide after learning about its sustainability efforts.
From there, three personas emerged:
Limitless Laura, a social trendsetter invested in eco-living.
Independent Isaac, a budget-conscious college student loyal to Tide.
Visionary Vanessa, a Gen Z changemaker influencing her peers online.
These personas gave us the human lens to craft a campaign that felt authentic and inspiring.
THE BRIEF
Tide, the #1 trusted detergent brand, asked us to tackle a critical sustainability challenge: how can we get 75% of U.S. laundry loads washed in cold water by 2030?
The brief outlined three key needs:
Build brand love with 18–35 year olds (Millennials + Gen Z).
Educate consumers on the environmental and personal benefits of cold water washing.
Deliver an omnichannel campaign that leverages social, influencer, experiential, and in-store activations.
The opportunity was clear: while over 2/3 of laundry’s carbon impact comes from heating water, few consumers recognized cold washing as an eco-habit even though it saves money, preserves clothes, and Tide cleans better in cold than competitors do in hot.
THE BIG IDEA
We reframed the meaning of “cool.” Cold wasn’t just a temperature setting , it became a symbol of values, identity, and positive change.
The campaign’s mission was to:
Educate — show the benefits of cold-water washing.
Change Behavior — make it a social movement.
Grow Brand Love — align Tide with sustainability and cultural relevance.
MEASURING SUCESS
To evaluate impact, we tracked KPIs across awareness, engagement, and behavior change:
2.6B+ impressions projected across channels.
171M+ billboard impressions from interactive consumer-generated content.
QR scan and discount redemption rates connected awareness to conversion.
Social listening measured shifts in brand sentiment and campaign hashtag use.
THE IMPACT
“What’s Cool to You?” positioned Tide as more than a detergent brand, it became a cultural participant and sustainability advocate. By reframing an everyday chore into a movement, we tapped into Gen Y and Z values of eco-consciousness, inclusivity, and innovation.
The campaign proved that with the right insight, even something as routine as laundry can feel empowering and meaningful.