Johnson's® So Much More™ Campaign Launch at Sofitel Downtown in Dubai

Parents, globally, believe bath time to be some of the most quality time they get with their children, yet many underestimate the cognitive benefits bath time offers. This is according to the Johnson's® Global Bath Time Report, released on Thursday 5th February.

In celebration of the launch, Johnson's® held an exclusive event at the Sofitel Downtown, Dubai, and I was lucky enough to be one of the press and media participants that were invited to the launch.

The launch started out with a mini exhibit of some statistics and benefits of bath time for babies.

While waiting for the speakers, there was a getting-to-know among the guests while cocktails were served.

It was then followed by a discussion of the benefits of touch and smell to babies' cognitive development.

The panelists consist of Dr. Georgios N. Stamatas, Ph.D. (Research Associate Director and Fellow, Global Baby Platforms Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc.), Mr. Sergio Gallucci (Head of Technology for South Asia, Middle East and Africa for Givaudan), Dr. Anwar Hammadi (Consultant Dermatologist & Associate Professor of Dermatology, Rashid Hospital Dubai), Dr. Zainab A. Malik, MD, MS, FAAP (Consultant Pediatrician, Mediclinic City Hospital, Dubai), and Ms. Naureen Mohammed (Marketing Director, Johnsons Baby Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan at Johnson & Johnson).

Moderator and Panelist Discussion - resized

The five experts highlighted the ways in which bath time can be so much more than just a bath. Here are a few of the things that were discussed:

A survey of more than 3,500 parents of young children, commissioned by Johnson's™ and conducted online by Harris Poll in seven countries, found less than half of parents around the world (42%) say bath time is extremely important to their child’s brain development. Mothers in the Middle East, however. appear ahead of the game, with 58% of mother in KSA stating the same compared to other countries. Additionally,

Only 34% of parents in KSA believe massages to be extremely important to their child’s brain development, and 32% globally saying they are not at all important.
94% of parents in the UAE say fragranced products are an important part of bath time, while 34% globally underestimate their importance.

Emerging and foundational science reveals multi-sensory experiences are critical to helping shape baby’s growing brain. With opportunities to use touch, sight, smell and sound, the bath is a time when parents can nurture their baby’s development.

Bath Time is Universal, But the Ritual is Different

Parents around the world spend 10 hours a month on average bathing their children. And, while there are many similarities across the globe, parents in KSA and the UAE have some unique differences:

In a typical week, parents in the UAE bathe their children, on average, 8.1 times, with parents in KSA averaging 4.2 times a week compared to the average 6 times per week globally.
From start to finish, bath time takes an average of 23 minutes on a global scale, however runs the gamut from 10 minutes or fewer (22%) to more than half an hour (13%). In KSA, parents spend on average 16.9 minutes, and in the UAE, 24.2 minutes bathing their child.

Bath Time is Bonding Time in a Tech-Free Bubble

While technology has become an integral part of daily family life, parents in KSA report that bath time largely continues to exist in a tech-free bubble: 75% of KSA parents say they rarely or never use their mobile devices during bath time in comparison to 66% globally.

Bath Time is a Family Event – Half of Dads Play a Role in Bath Time

Dads play a key role in bath time globally: 54% of dads are the primary bathers in their households. In a quarter of households (26%), bath time is a two parent job. However, in the UAE and KSA, this figure drops to 4% and 1% respectively.

The survey findings are being shared as part of Johnson’s® So Much More™ campaign. The global campaign is about enhancing rituals, including bath time, to stimulate baby’s senses and provide parents an opportunity to nurture baby’s ability to learn, think, love and grow. Through the campaign, Johnson's® is advancing research that reveals the importance of multi-sensory experiences that can lead to happy, healthy baby development.

After the discussion, there was a Q&A and then the event was concluded with the unveiling of this giant rubber ducky and a scrumptious lunch buffet.

I've already covered events in the Philippines so I totally expected that my timid self was already gone. But noooo. Haha! It's as if my stomach was making somersaults as I got to the venue. Hahaha! Well yeah, it has been my issue especially when dealing with a large group of people. :p

It's my first time to cover an event in the UAE, with guests from different races and I being the only Filipino, so I guess what I felt was just normal, right? :p But it was a fun and overwhelming experience altogether. I got to learn new things and I also got to meet new people.

With Ms. Sara of Aailati magazine, Ms. Lipika of Emirates Parent Plus magazine, and Ms. Nolifer of GoDubai.com :)

Thank you to Ms. Millie Roberts and Ms. Lucy Perrott for the invite and special thanks to Johnson's® Middle East for the goodies! :)

For updates about Johnson’s® Middle East, you can visit and like them on Facebook: facebook.com/johnsonsbabyme. You can also visit their website: www.johnsonsbabyme.com.

For updates about Johnson’s® Baby, you can visit and like them on Facebook: facebook.com/johnsonsbaby or follow them on Instagram: @johnsonsbaby and Twitter: www.johnsonsbaby.com.