If you had to choose between showering or putting food on your table, what would your choice be? Both are fundamental human rights, so why choose at all? Unfortunately, millions of people have to face this difficult reality. In the UK alone, 5.3 million individuals are forced to pick just one of these basic needs. Currently, soap and other toiletries are subject to a 20% VAT rate. For comparison, lobsters, works of art, and gold bars are VAT-free. In other words, hygiene products are classified as non-essential products, while luxury items are not taxed.
To raise awareness on the heartbreaking choice some people have to make, The Hygiene Bank (THB) teamed up with Saatchi & Saatchi agency and beauty brand Goodwash, launching a nationwide campaign. The #StopTheSoapTax initiative addresses the Government, urging it to remove the taxes on essential hygiene products — particularly during a time when the cost of living is soaring. The “weapon of choice” used in the fight against hygiene poverty is The Edible Soap, an innovative product that took three years to develop.
“Soap is a necessity, not a luxury,” explained Ruth Brock, CEO of The Hygiene Bank. “It’s absurd that in the UK, a nation that has already scrapped VAT on period products, we still tax essential hygiene products like soap at 20%. This campaign is about more than just VAT reform — it’s about recognising hygiene as a fundamental right.”
“The Edible Soap brings to life the critical issue of people having to choose between eating and washing, in a way that’s impossible to ignore,” commented Henrik Ridderheim, Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi.
According to the developers, the soap “is made with organic cacao butter, oat flour, avocado oil, tomato sauce, toast flavouring, bean flavouring, paprika, and Celtic sea salt, emulating a baked bean flavour.” The product can be “bought” at a price of £15.00 — the average cost of soap over a year, as per THB. The soap is available on Goodwash’s website and it is a donation rather than a purchase, as the soap serves as a symbolic protest against hygiene poverty.
All proceeds from the sales of the virtual soap will go to the charity, which will support families and individuals in the UK with basic hygiene products. The campaign is backed up by a PR activation, with the Edible Soap being used in media and influencer outreach to ignite conversations around the subject and engage people in joining the cause by signing the petition.
CREDITS
Brand: The Hygiene Bank
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
Product Development & Production: The Goodwash Company
