HUL Gets Into A Kitchen War With Dettol

Last week, we saw Dettol launching a new brand extension – a kitchen gel. “Dettol, the brand we all know so well as a liquid antiseptic and disinfectant, a brand that has repeatedly found a place in lists of India’s most trusted brands, had decided to launch, in India, a brand extension – Dettol Healthy Kitchen Gel. You pause for a moment at the rationale behind the extension. The association with Dettol, as we know it before today, is a liquid we dab over open cuts and wounds as an antiseptic. It’s an antiseptic we’ve poured a few cupfuls of into buckets of hot water after an outing that has been through grime and dust. We knew, on these occasions, that Dettol was the friend we needed.

This morning, we see that Unilever is not amused – and the empire strikes back. The headline takes near-direct pot-shots at Dettol. “A harsh antiseptic or the power of 100 lemons. Which one would you choose to clean your child’s tiffin?”The copy is even more direct. “An antiseptic is for cleaning wounds and floors. Would you use it to clean the utensils your family eats from? All Vim products have the power of 100 lemons…” Vim’s lemons are back in play – and we can certainly expect Dettol (or another brand in the category) to be up in arms.

In 1999, HUL was rapped on the knuckles for a Vim+lemon claim. ‘The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has asked multinational Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL) to withdraw or modify its Vim bar advertisement campaign for violating advertising code.

ASCI asked HLL to withdraw or modify the advertisement following a complaint by rival detergent manufacturer, Fena Ltd, accusing the largest FMCG (fast moving consumer good) company for false and misleading advertisement.

ASCI said, “The visual depiction of the lemon juice (drops) and the related claim of ‘lemon power’ (in the vim campaign) was not true and was misleading.” However, HLL denied that they have received any order by ASCI for modification or withdrawal of Vim advertisement,” Financial Express had reported.

Today’s ad, visually, suggests clearly that lemon is an intrinsic and important ingredient in Vim’s Gel. It’s not lemon alone. “Whereas other products are only just beginning to realise the importance and power of natural ingredients, Vim’s use of the power of lemons to provide its unbeatable degreasing power is well-established. We also use other natural products, such as lime, vinegar and green tea to maximize the results, and minimize the number of chemicals in our products and in the environment,” HUL says.

HUL would certainly remember the Fena complaint, even if it is 14 years old. This time, considering the categorical mentions of lemon, they’ll be better prepared. But the all but direct attack on Dettol will certainly see Dettol react as well. Let’s sit back and watch the war in the kitchen play out.