DETTOL Launches UK ‘Keep Protecting’ Campaign

Lockdown has taught us all to appreciate the little things in life we previously took for granted. As we move out of the lockdown phase, we are all at risk of forgetting the importance and impact of the other little things we have been doing to keep ourselves, our families and our community safe.  

To remind us of these, Dettol has launched a fully integrated behaviour change campaign ‘Keep Protecting,’ comprising TV, VOD, digital and OOH. Whether it’s wiping down surfaces in our home, washing our hands when we get to and from work, or even just using hand sanitiser when we’re out and about, the campaign encourages consumers to cherish and remember the little things. 

The ‘Keep Protecting’ campaign reminds us that these little hygiene habits are actually huge acts of care and protection, not only in helping prevent the spread of germs causing illness, but also in getting us back to the other precious things that make up our daily lives.

Created by McCann London, and produced through Craft, this campaign reminds us all about the little things we have missed, previously insignificant moments of everyday life. Meeting up with friends, getting a haircut and seeing loved ones, which should all be done in accordance with the latest government advice. 

The poignant campaign sets out to instil five critical habits that will enable us to help protecting ourselves and our communities:

1.      Washing hands when getting home, or to work.

2.      Keeping hands sanitised when out and about.

3.      Washing hands before eating and cooking.

4.      Wiping the surfaces in our homes.

5.      Using laundry sanitiser for the bacteria on our clothes.

UK Marketing Director – RB, Charlotte Schloesing said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that good hygiene is the foundation of Health. Dettol was first used in the UK by midwives over 86 years ago, so we have always played a role in protecting families around the country. It is our duty right now to get consumers to re-appraise that the good hygiene they practiced over the past few months is in fact an act of protection. With our partners at McCann we have developed a highly emotional campaign idea with simple, relevant messaging that will continue to drive the importance of healthy hygiene habits, not just today but going forward in our everyday lives, so we can help protecting those we love and our way of life.”

Karen Crum, Global Brand Strategy Director, McCann, added, “We have built a communication approach with behaviour change at the heart of it – designed to increase people’s motivation to embed these simple, but critical habits, into their everyday life. The truth is that we have more power to prevent the spread of germ-causing illnesses than we realise.”

The global campaign, which will first run for two months in the UK, will include targeted digital and OOH assets, which highlight relevant cleaning and sanitising moments throughout the day, depending on the context, such as reminders to use hand sanitiser on the tube. Following the UK launch the campaign will roll out in other key markets.

Production of the campaign included both live action and photography shoots. The challenge was in maintaining social distancing and adhering to lockdown guidelines for the safety of all involved. To that end the directors shot in their own homes, with themselves and their family members cast as hand models for example. Props and equipment were sanitised before being sent out and on return (with Dettol of course) and all editing and post-production also took place in individual’s homes. 

Dettol is also involved in a new campaign “Enjoy summer safely,” as one of the brands working in partnership with the UK government encouraging the public to take care to minimise the risk of coronavirus transmission while enjoying the summer. For guidance on how to enjoy summer safely visit: www.gov.uk/enjoy-summer-safely.

Source: McCann London

  Charlotte Schloesing, Dettol, Karen Crum, Keep Protecting, McCann London