Gen C – Tide Sustainability Initiative

I contributed to the development of the Gen C campaign for Tide, positioning the brand as a leader in sustainability and driving behavioral change among younger consumers to make cold water washing the default choice.

Brand Situation

As a market leader in laundry care for generations, Tide has successfully encouraged 50% of U.S. consumers to wash their clothes in cold water. However, despite the environmental and economic benefits, the remaining half—particularly younger consumers aged 18-34—are not yet adopting this habit. Research shows that 83% of this demographic could not recall seeing messaging about the benefits of cold water washing. The Gen C campaign was designed to bridge this gap by building a strong, engaged community of environmentally conscious individuals across generations.

The Brief

GET: Young consumers aged 18-34

WHO: Millennials and Gen Z individuals who are environmentally conscious and already making simple sustainable choices, such as recycling, conserving water, and turning off unnecessary lights.

TO: Inspire them to adopt cold water washing as a standard habit by demonstrating the significant energy savings (up to 90% per load) and fabric care benefits.

BY: Creating a unifying community under the Gen C movement that connects sustainability with everyday lifestyle choices, leveraging social media engagement, influencer collaborations, and impactful storytelling to make cold water washing the norm.

Campaign Outcomes

• Consumer Awareness & Engagement: Increased awareness among young consumers, driving a 40% uplift in brand recall for Tide’s cold water washing initiative.

• Behavioral Change: Achieved a measurable shift in laundry habits, with a 80% consumer sin cold water washing adoption among the target audience within the campaign period.

• Community Growth: Established an engaged online community of sustainability advocates under the Gen C umbrella, fostering long-term brand loyalty and environmental commitment.

• Budget Optimization: Cut down over $10M in budget, maximize marketing potential and focus on achieving campaign’s goals.