Print Ad - Dettol

It's that time of the week again! Here's the second print ad I will be evaluating as part of the print ad series I have been running. If you're just tuning in and missed the first print ad I evaluated, you can view it here.

1. Communication Objectives: The primary communication objective of this ad is to create/remind consumers of a category need; in this case that need is hand sanitizer. The secondary objective is to create and build awareness that Dettol hand sanitizer can help the consumer fulfill this need.

2. Message Strategy: The message strategy primarily targets low involvement consumers at an emotional level using fear. At the informational level, the ad states that it kills 99.99% of germs without the need for water, which are the product’s dominant traits. The message strategy is appropriate for the category and context of the ad’s placement (buses and subways) since most people who don’t use hand sanitizer (and even those that do), do not perceive a threat in not using it and thus are not actively seeking it. This ad is effective because it visually captures the attention of low involvement consumers, creates a need for a product that was not there before by using fear, and provides a solution.

3. Evaluation of Creative Execution: As mentioned above, the ad uses unusual visuals and fear to first capture attention and create a problem for the consumer. Specifically, the ad shows severed arms with band-aids in place of what would normally be handle bars on a bus, to emphasize that other people’s hands have touched these handle bars before and that they’re covered in germs.

The model used and the visuals surrounding her is average to above average. This appeals and relates to typical consumers who, like her, are riding on a bus. The model is also displayed prominently and in stark contrast to her surroundings to capture the consumer’s attention.

Visuals and text on the bottom are meant to enhance brand and product awareness through a consistent color scheme characteristic of the brand itself. It could be argued that the ad increases its accessibility and chance of being remembered by including very little information and in a novel way that is relevant to the consumer.

Overall, the tactics used in the ad are appropriate in evoking an emotional response, arousing consumers to remove the threat, offering a solution, and raising overall brand awareness.

4. Sources & Appeals: The source and appeals used in the ad are appropriate for the message strategy and product category. Source as described above is attractive in that it is similar and thus likeable to the consumer.

The relationship between the level of fear in a message and its acceptance are curvilinear; message acceptance increases as the amount of fear used rises but only to a certain point. For the purposes of hand sanitizer, the mild fear appeal seems appropriate: consumers know they’re vulnerable but won’t avoid the message or problem because there’s an easy solution. A higher level of fear could make the ad lose credibility or result in too much elaboration of the germs actually on handle bars.

5. Layout: The headline of the ad is on the bottom of the page and reads: “Whose hand are you holding?” The subhead below reads: “Dettol Instant Sanitizer kills 99.99% of germs on hands, without the need for water.” To the right is a picture of the actual product with the brand logo. There is no body copy in this ad.