COVID-19 advertising: Dettol takes to TikTok with a challenge

It has only been launched for now, and as part of phase two of the campaign, Dettol plans to take the social media challenge across the globe.

As the Reckitt Benckiser (RB) team mentions in a press note, antiseptic brand Dettol’s #HandWashChallenge campaign saw over 18 billion views in a week. The brand ran a campaign in one of TikTok’s primary formats, the hashtag, supplemented by dance moves and a peppy track. While these are just the ingredients, the catalyst was influencer participation. It was seeded by the likes of Bollywood stars Kartik Aaryan and Urvashi Rautela, among several other TikTok influencers.

@mrchikun09

##HandWashChallenge ##tiktokindia ##foryoupage

♬ Hand Washing Song - Viruss

@kartiktokaaryan

Please Hand Wash Karo Na🙏🏻 ##HandWashChallenge @dettol_india

♬ Hand Washing Song - Viruss

@urvashirautela

Wash Hands and Stay Cool ##HandWashChallenge @dettol_india

♬ Hand Washing Song - Viruss

The campaign included multiple daily activities aimed at building consumer interest. The dance moves were actually directions of washing hands the right way, a key measure recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to avoid the spread of Coronavirus.

The hashtag filter, which can be added to the videos, has a branded Dettol strip across the top (with the hashtag), and names (talks about) the steps involved in washing hands. Users can dance (the steps) to the challenge and share it with their friends to further amplify the message on hygiene and safety.

The challenge was initiated on March 14, and there are claims that it witnessed over 18 billion views and generated over 1.23 lakh user generated videos in a week.

Pankaj Duhan, CMO, RB Health South Asia, says, “It has definitely become one of the most successfully led initiatives by any of our brands at RB. Understanding the consumer’s mindset is of the utmost importance to us. Therefore, our campaign communication is built in a way that creates meaningful conversations to drive awareness amongst consumers. The participation by TikTok users across India has helped to deliver the right message in a more engaging and interactive manner.”

“Over the past couple of weeks, we have witnessed a lot of misinformation floating around hygiene practices, especially over the internet. Realising the gravity of the issue and being a responsible brand, we felt it was our prerogative to initiate this awareness campaign,” he added.

As part of phase two of the campaign, Dettol plans to take the challenge across the globe.