Dive Brief:
- Lysol is taking on unpleasant smells with a new social campaign for its Lysol Air Sanitizer, per a press release. The effort introduces the “StinkCheck,” which it describes as a drama-free way to handle stinky conversations.
- As part of the effort, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, of “Jersey Shore” fame, appears in a social video responding to DMs from followers seeking advice about how to come to terms with their loved ones’ odorous passions and pets.
- The brand also teamed with influencers Zachariah Porter, Mayci Neeley and Eli Rallo for additional social content with a similar theme. The talent encourages viewers to share their videos with those who might also need to hear the message.
Dive Insight:
Lysol’s tactic to tackle odors for its Lysol Air product marks a turn from the product’s 2023 launch strategy, which highlighted its status as the first product to receive EPA approval to claim it could kill 99.9% of airborne viruses and bacteria. The launch campaign used the tagline “Scent Can’t Sanitize” to differentiate itself from other air freshening products.
Granted, COVID-19 pandemic concerns were still fresh at that time, causing a spike in household cleaning and disinfectant sales. While sales continue to increase, they have done so at a more modest rate. U.S. household cleaner products sales increased by 2.7% from 2023 to 2024, according to Mintel. Consumer attitudes are also changing. A survey from the American Cleaning Institute found only 22% of Americans plan to change their cleaning habits for this year’s cold and flu season, a 5% drop from 2024.
That is a bit of a change from attitudes closer to the pandemic emergency. In 2023, Lysol cited research from American Cleaning Institute indicating that consumers intended to continue the sanitizing behaviors they adopted during the pandemic after its urgency had passed. For its latest campaign, the Reckitt-owned brand is citing consumer data which found that 58% of people report having had an argument or awkward conversation with a partner, roommate or family member about smells in the home, and that 42% of people experience unpleasant smells that cause annoyance or tension at least once a week.
Key to Lysol’s latest effort is a social video spot starring Polizzi that portrays her as a straight-talking truth-teller, drawing upon her experience living with eight roommates as a reality star in her twenties and as a current mother of three. In the video, Polizzi offers solutions for a sibling’s smelly gym bag and a boyfriend’s pet by using the Lysol Air product. “Spray it, so you don’t have to say it,” she says in the spot, adding that if the viewer knows someone who needs a hint, the video can be easily forwarded.
The new campaign takes a more social-driven approach than past efforts promoting the sanitizer product. For the initial campaign, Lysol brought its germ-free messaging via an immersive karaoke activation that depicted the number of germs that appear in the air when consumers sing their favorite songs, while digital and influencer marketing elements rounded out the push.
