Clean Hands, Clean India

RB’s Dettol has been working towards popularising its personal hygiene and germ-protection positioning over the past decade. The brand has endeavoured to promote healthy hand washing habits through its five-year programme — ‘Dettol – Banega Swachh India’ — launched in 2014 to improve hygiene conditions in the country. In the last two years, it has partnered with Ujjain and Nasik Kumbh to provide hygiene to pilgrims and has been an active participant in the Global Handwashing Day programmes held on 15 October every year.

As a continuation of the nationwide communication initiative ‘Dettol- Banega Swachh India’, RB has recently released a new television commercial reiterating the importance of good hand hygiene in everyday situations.

The TVC, which is part of the next phase of the ‘Maa mane sirf Dettol ka dhula’ campaign launched last year, features children practicing good hygiene habits as well as encouraging others to do the same. The advertisement sets off with a man claiming his hands to be ‘sher ke panje’ (lion’s paws) that do not need washing. Later however, he is convinced by his young niece and nephew’s argument that hygiene is a must for all. The campaign preaches that whether it’s a meal at home or a cake at a birthday party or a packed lunch on a train journey, eating should always be preceded by cleaning of hands.

“Last year, we had launched our campaign to promote healthy hand washing habits among children and mothers that turned out to be a huge success. This year, we are taking this proposition a step further and promoting the educational message,” says Arjun Purkayastha, marketing director, Dettol Developing Markets at RB.

The idea behind the campaign is to create a personal hygiene movement. It targets real life unhealthy scenarios and showcases simple solutions such as the healthy habit of washing hands with Dettol’s products — regular hand-wash, small pack Dettol Squeezy or the hand sanitiser for different situations.

“Repetitive reminders help in forming good habits and through this new TVC we aim to establish healthy hand washing habits not only in children but in adults too,” says Prasoon Joshi, chairman – Asia Pacific, CEO and chief creative officer – India, McCann World Group.

With the familiar jingle ‘Dettol Dettol Ho’, the latest TVC makes an effort to reach out to millions in the country in order to create and increase awareness.”