There’s an army of warriors in the Amazon that is committed to saving the rainforest from devastation. Their weapon of choice? Some sort of magic powder that acts as a natural insect repellent composed of citronella oil, Neem oil, and clove oil. At least that’s what RJR Editora say about the story. But this is no ordinary tale, because a huge part of what you’ve just read is true.

Titled the “Amazon Warriors,” the assumed fabrication is based on real facts. We just have to mention that the army is entirely made of children and the super-ingredient—provided by Ananse Química, a Brazilian company specializing in microencapsulation—does really exist. It’s not that magical, but still… This life-saving element was cleverly incorporated in a collection of children’s books and then used as a form of protection against deadly mosquitoes.

This week’s #ThrowBrandThursday enchants you with the Safe Collection, a set of coloring books, crayons, and superhero capes, all designed for children to have fun and use them as a shield against the fatal insect. Each item was ‘genetically modified’ so as to include the substance carefully developed by Ananse Química in its DNA.

The project was created in partnership with Little George ad agency, which took great care to transform the whole experience into a fun, memorable, and educational campaign for the little ones. “We sought out Little George to help us create a social project that would allow us to help families and caretakers protect children from the mosquitoes that transmit diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and dengue. When they presented the idea of the book, we knew we had found a way to meet our objectives and generate great social impact,” said Claudia Galvão, CEO of Ananse Química in a press release.

The campaign’s first step was to distribute these interactive kits to families of the Tapara Miri community, in the Brazilian state of Pará. The remote location was not picked randomly. Together with IPAM (National Research Institute of the Amazon), the company tested the effectiveness of the substance when applied on the books in various areas. Then, with the results in their hands, the partners decided that Tapara Miri was the perfect spot to begin. The team’s ambitious goal was to distribute 20 thousand units by the end of 2017.

So, how does the kit work? For starters, you should know that the books’ pages are treated with varnish that includes micro-capsules of insect repellent. When a child uses the book, the capsules activate. As for the crayons, the ‘magic’ substance was included in their wax. Moreover, it was also incorporated into the fibers of the material used to develop the superhero capes. According to Ananse’s CEO, the repellent’s effect lasts for up to impressive three months.

The award-winning project took shape as a creative way to inform parents and caretakers about the abilities mosquitoes repellents. The kit was created to protect kids living in risky backgrounds and places where buying drugs against the insects is out of the question.

“[…] in addition to the books, we will use the insect repellent varnish in sets that include superhero capes and many different colors of crayons, empowering children to fight against mosquitoes,” concludes Gabriel Araújo, Vice-President of Creative at Little George and the project’s creator. It seems that all heroes should wear such capes!

Credits:

Client: Ananse Química
Agency: Little George
Executive Creative Director: Gabriel Araujo
Copywriter: Gabriel Araujo
Book Author: Ronaldo Barcelos
Planning: Leticia Massa
Art Director: Anderson Borges
Client Services: Carolina Azevedo
Illustration: Ronaldo Santana
Technological Development: Ananse
Approval: Claudia Galvão, Ronaldo Barcelos