My first poison - a perfume that lobbied EU Parliament

We need green chemicals more than ever, because pollution is not any more about icebergs, but our children' s bodies. Considered a global threat by both the United Nations and WHO, endocrine disruptors (ED) are chemicals that can act like hormones and cause cancerous tumors, congenital disabilities and other developmental disorders, linked to reproductive and fertility issues. While the European Union pledged to protect babies from endocrine-disrupting chemicals, banning them in baby bottles, they are still present in chemical products that we use everyday, and from there get to water, air, and even human milk. The developing babies are most vulnerable group, but ED chemicals are not only not banned - producers don't even have to warn about them on the labels. Moms has no possibility to make an informed decision or to limit their exposure in the most crucial "windows" like pregnancy and breastfeeding

LOBBYING THE LOBBY

How to make this threat tangible for the most vulnerable ones – breastfeeding moms, for whose babies ED can have the most devastating effects? On the base of European Commission’s official data from "Risk Assessment Reports" regarding pollutions in human milk we made the first in the world breast milk perfume - or rather the perfume made of toxic chemicals polluting human milk – with a scent made solely of endocrine disruptors that a baby EATS in 6 months of breastfeeding. The result was shocking - a soapy smelling formula of the "first poison", that an infant can ingest in the first months of life, when the organism is most vulnerable for hormonal disruptions. Basing on EU Commission own data, in Clovin laboratory we made a perfume from endocrine disruptors legally used in cosmetics and detergents, found in human milk. The breastmilk perfume was called "My first poison". On Mother’s day we sent perfumes to Moms from EU Parliament, asking for a new law to ban or at least warn about ED on the labels. And then we sent the perfumes to journalists and influencers, to build the awareness of the initiative and ask to sign the petition to EU Parliament to regulate this harmful substances. At the same time we started FB campaign and collaboration with eco and parenting influencers, to educate about ED chemicals and gather enough signatures to present the petition in EU Parliament.

RESULTS

Thanks to the engagement of biggest media (wyborcza, wysokie obcasy, onet, wp, natemat, TVN) and of moms-influencers (Zofia Zborowska, Andziaks, Ekopaulina, MamaChemik, Agnieszka Pocztarska), teh campaign got massive response: 6 milion views on yt and fb, 3 milion views on fb and IG, 600 k interactions, +100 000 positive reactions on Instagram, but above all in two weeks we got over 2300 signatures of the petition, that was oficially presented to EU Parliament, where Swedish mom-MEP brought up the issue of endocrine disruptors. Moms supported the action, and also, given positive comments, for the first time got awareness of the problem. The social support changed the discussion around sustainable chemicals, for the first time educating that toxic chemicals, even as innocent as smells, can get into our bodies and pollute human milk for years to come. And with the rising awareness, the law will be soon changed

Awards

Lisbon International Advertising Festivals Group 2022
Innovation 2022 | Gold Innovation in Business | Gold Innovation in Communication
KTR 2022 | 4x Gold | 2x Silver