From zero to over 130 products and a Disney collaboration: BZU BZU’s four-year sprint

Just four years after launching, BZU BZU has become the first Singapore family care brand to collaborate with Disney to bring a Zootopia-themed children’s oral care locally – marking a key milestone in its rapid growth.

Raphael Jiang, chief executive officer and co-founder of the family care brand, says the collaboration allowed BZU BZU to combine timeless storytelling with years of strategic investment in research and development (R&D), clinical testing and a relentless focus on affordability without compromising quality.

“BZU BZU wants to work with partners who share our values, like quality products, creativity and being family-centric – and the collaboration with Disney on the themed packaging design is such a milestone moment for us. We represent the best of an Asian brand that is parent-trusted and science-backed,” he says.

But getting to this milestone was a journey that began long before the opportunity for a Disney collaboration arose.

Creating a family care brand

The 40-year-old started BZU BZU in 2019 with a mission to make effective, child-friendly products accessible to all families. He was moved by a friend’s account of having to spend at least $30 on a bottle of shampoo to manage her baby’s eczema. He noticed that many baby and children’s products for sensitive skin carried premium price tags.

“It does not have to be this way. Every child deserves the best, regardless of their family income. I saw a gap in the market for natural and effective products at accessible prices,” he says.

Then came the Covid-19 pandemic. BZU BZU pivoted to develop its first product – Kids’ Disposable Medical Masks which were latex-free and three-layered for protection against bacteria, dust and micro-particles. Within months, it sold over 200,000 packs.

Even as the company responded to meet urgent demand, Jiang ensured the masks encompassed the brand’s DNA: safe, innovative, child-friendly and affordable.

Today, BZU BZU offers about 138 products for the whole family, ranging from baby diapers and baby wipes to shampoos and mosquito repellent sprays.

It has seen strong growth in the baby care category on e-commerce platforms Shopee and Lazada, and also enjoys a consistent double-digit growth in stores like Watsons.

From the get-go, ticking all the boxes for savvy and discerning parent-shoppers and their fussy little ones has been Jiang’s game plan.

“I’m Singaporean, so it felt right to start here. Singapore also has a reputation for being a credible and trustworthy base for brands that prioritise safety. We’ve also observed a growing demand among parents for higher-quality, safer and more effective products,” he says.

Acknowledging our small population size and falling birth rates, he has also set his sights on the wider Asean market.

Before launching BZU BZU, Jiang commissioned online questionnaires for 3,000 parents across Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam to deep dive into their shopping behaviours and thoughts on product formulations.

Elevating oral care with a Disney collaboration

Positioned among established international family care brands, Jiang knew that BZU BZU had to distinguish itself by proving that its products were just as good as, if not better than, those made by competitor brands.

“We invested heavily in R&D, worked with dermatologists and ensured everything was clinically tested by SGS, an independent testing body.”

Drawing on his experience in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, Jiang engages laboratories in Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Tokyo to ensure that all BZU BZU products meet international standards. They are clinically and dermatologist-tested for sensitive skin, especially sensitive young skin, and are free of harsh chemicals like talc, parabens, sulfates and mineral oils.

Despite the meticulous attention to details, affordability remains a defining principle. “We believe that quality care should never be out of reach,” says Jiang.

Moreover, he observes that parents today look for brands built on trust, while also valuing the experience it brings. “A product must be clinically sound, but it should also inspire joy and encouragement.”

This positioning led to the Disney collaboration, which sees beloved characters from Zootopia and Winnie the Pooh featured on the packaging designs of BZU BZU’s DentiBiome Series – an age-adaptive oral care range that caters to the different stages of a child’s oral development.

“This collaboration allows us to bring the magic of Disney stories into daily routines, making them more joyful and engaging for families. Keeping things fresh and fun is how we stay relevant,” says Jiang.

“Every element of the product, from product and packaging design to product formulation, went through multiple rounds of review, facilitated by cross-functional collaboration across teams. But the process pushed us to raise our standards even further, and the end result speaks for itself.”

Find out more about BZU BZU and its line of family care products on Facebook and Instagram.