Dettol reinforces ‘protection as strong as a mother’s love’ positioning with new campaign

Reckitt Benckiser’s 80-year-old brand Dettol is reinforcing its ‘protection as strong as a mother’s love’ positioning with a bar soap TVC from its advertising agency McCann1886.

Using the insight that, no matter how old you are, you will always be your mother’s baby, the TVC developed by McCann1886’s creative team of Executive Creative Director Tumi Sethebe, Copywriter Zi Sithole and Art director Chan Ma was directed by Egg Films’ Dani Hayes.

“I tasked the the agency to evoke an emotional reaction from the Dettol soap bar’s target audience – mothers and other caregivers in South Africa” was how Marketing Director at Reckitt Benckiser, Kunal Sahgal, described the brief that inspired a TVC he’s very proud of.

“This TVC delivers on emotion and authenticity while still being able to communicate on the germ protection credentials of the brand. It does so with music and visuals that put the spotlight on a mother’s enduring love for her children and her desire to protect them. The transitions between a young and older mother and her pre-teen, and then grown-up son are exceptionally subtle and seamlessly done, and are incredibly entertaining to watch.

“All in all, there’s a timeless feel about the TVC. It reinforces the reason that so many generations of mothers have turned to Dettol bar soap in summer and throughout the year, to help them protect their children from the sweat and grime of everyday growing up and that, no matter how old they are, their mothers’ love will always be there,” he said.