The catastrophe of second wave of Covid struck India in March 2021. As the cases spiralled, the healthcare systems took the brunt, and slowly collapsed under unprecedented pressure. Unprepared for the havoc, the medical supplies ran short, and the systems became overwhelmed. In several cities, oxygen supplies had been critical, hospitals had turned patients away, and crematoriums had run out of space. As of May 2021, India had reported more than 26·4 million confirmed cases and over 274,000 deaths from COVID-19.

While the first wave was about prevention and tracking numbers, the second wave was about people's suffering. The rampant spread brought hopelessness and despair- with optimism being lost in deep dark oblivion.

Being a trusted brand among consumers – Dettol felt responsible to respond to the status quo and bring back hope and positivity, while reinforcing 'Protection'. Dettol had to evolve and create a more meaningful role for itself.

OUR BIG IDEA- Celebrate the lesser-known protectors, to inspire the creation of more Protectors.

Thus, we gave the stature of ‘Protectors’ to these lesser-known protectors, who were a beacon of hope, optimism & survival in the toughest times.

We created an ‘Ecosystem of Protection’ with our campaign DETTOL SALUTES.

We followed a multi-layered approach to build reach, get people to act and engage by creating effective communication across all marketing channels with a special focus on digital platform (microsite, influencers, social media), Product Packaging (Replaced Dettol’s iconic logo) & our partnership initiative of Banega Swasth India (India will be Healthy)

Our creative work not only focussed on inspiring the creation of more protectors, but also empowering the existing protectors, the mothers. Additionally, children who were the most impacted by the pandemic served as the messengers of our anthem “Mil ke Harayenge” (Together we can defeat).