Persil has launched a new ‘Dirt is Good’ campaign to encourage children to get outdoors this summer by creating an app for parents to help boost “play-inspiration”.

The new ‘Persil Wild Explorers’ app is free to download on the IOS and Google Play stores and provides over 100 activities for families to do outside during the summer holidays. From July to September, Persil will also be giving shoppers the chance to win a family break to a Forest Holiday resort, complete with wood cabin and activity vouchers, via an on-pack promotion.

The activity will be highlighted through specially designed ‘Persil Wild Explorers’ neck hangers which will be placed on 25W, 40W and 60W Persil liquid variants. A limited edition design has also been created for the 70w powder packs.

Rosalind Brown, marketing manager for laundry at Unilever UK, said: “Recent research revealed that children are spending as little time outside as prisoners and we want to change this. The new ‘Dirt Is Good’ campaign is designed to inspire parents to spend time with their kids outside over the upcoming months and allow them to enjoy this time together without worrying about mud and stains.

“Technology is often listed as a cause of kids staying inside, but we want to demonstrate how it can be used as a great tool for finding new and exciting things to do as a family. This teamed with the on-pack promotion shows that we are dedicated to inspiring parents to get their kids outdoors this summer.”

The campaign will be supported by a £4.5m marketing spend including ‘OOH, video on demand’, social media, alongside an on-pack promotion and in-store activity. A TV and cinema campaign will also run from July until September 2016.