CarlNelsonFranceAdvertising: Grey Treats Iodine Deficiency Through the Decorative Dots on Indian Women’s Foreheads

Monday, April 6, 2015

Grey Treats Iodine Deficiency Through the Decorative Dots on Indian Women’s Foreheads

Iodine deficiency is a huge issue in rural India, and here's one unusual way to help solve the problem—iodized bindis.

The Neelvasant Medical Foundation and Research Center, a non-profit group based in India, worked with ad agency Grey to create and distribute the medically enhanced versions of the decorative dots that women in India commonly wear on their foreheads.

Named the "Life Saving Dot," the product has slight shades of sci-fi, with recipients soaking up their daily dose of the nutrient through their skin (though it also seems similar in concept to, say, a nicotine patch).

The nonprofit and agency cite breast cancer, fibrocystic breast disease and complications during pregnancy among the health issues linked to iodine deficiency (an insidious form of malnutrition that has historically been associated with goiter and cretinism, but in recent decades has been tied to a broader set of physical and mental problems).

With help from Talwar Bindi, the iodized dots have been distributed in four areas, so far—Badli, a village near New Delhi, and three parts of the Maharastra state: Niphal, Peth and Kopergaon/Sinnar.

Sure, it might not be as classic a solution as dispensing iodized salt, but it's definitely more colorful … and if it works, who cares?

CREDITS

Grey Group Singapore

Chief Creative Officer: Ali Shabaz

Copywriter: Ali Shabaz / Karn Singh

Art Director: Cinzia Crociani / Sudhir Pasumarty / Sandeep Bhardwaj / Giap How Tan

Designer: Cinzia Crociani / Sudhir Pasumarty / Sandeep Bhardwaj

Illustrator: Sudhir Pasumarty

Project Manager: Sandeep Bhardwaj

Account Director: Gaurav Arora

Account Manager: Marie Tan

Regional Director, PR & Corporate Communications: Huma Qureshi

Regional Corporate Communications Executive: Yanrong Pang