Campaign: Lysol Air-aoke
Companies: Reckitt
Agency Partners: MRM (social); McCann (creative); Zenith (media buying and influencers) Encore (experiential); Hunter (public relations and organic social)
Duration: July 31, 2023 – ongoing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a correlation in May 2020 between singing and greater spread of COVID-19. In response, Lysol also saw an opportunity to promote a new air sanitizer product as a way to counteract germs in a music space. 

Strategy

In October 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved Lysol Air Sanitizer as the first antimicrobial product effective at killing bacteria and viruses in the air. The company released the new product in June 2023.

The company’s creatives determined that a music event would be a particularly good way to promote it to African American and Hispanic consumers, said Benoit Veryser, Reckitt’s VP of marketing for Lysol in the U.S.

African Americans are more likely to invest in air care products than the average consumer, according to IRI, a market research firm.

“Hispanics and African Americans also overlap with music and those type of singing events, so it felt quite natural to combine [them],” Veryser said.

Tactics

The creatives decided to stage Lysol Air-aoke, a karaoke booth at the Music Midtown festival in Atlanta, which took place September 15-17. The pop-up had LED screens on the walls and ceiling where participants could see depictions of viruses and bacteria they produced from singing. They could then clean those germs with the Lysol spray. 

“It was very interactive and visual for a product that really can’t be seen,” Veryser said.

The brand also hired actress and singer Christina Milian to sing at the booth and spray the product.

“I’m here with Lysol at Music Midtown, and I just learned that one minute of singing actually releases 1,000 virus- and bacteria-filled droplets into the air,” Milian said in a sponsored Instagram reel before spraying the product as she twirled in the booth.

The campaign decided to work with Milian because she is a Grammy Award nominee and a mother “who could make this come to life,” Veryser said.

Lysol also partnered with SidClusive, an artist who has more than 4 million followers on TikTok, to produce a sponsored post in which he shared a song inspired by the air sanitizer. 

@sidclusive

#ad Lysol challenged me to create a beat inspired by the new @Lysol US Air Sanitizer – it kills 99.9% of airborne viruses and bacteria. Let me see you duet your best air-aoke vocals or freestyle with this beat and don’t forget to check out Lysol Air Sanitizer, now available at a retailer near you. #openversechallenge #lysolus #lysolairsanitizer #airaoke *use as directed*

♬ original sound – Sidclusive

Results

The campaign received coverage from outlets such as Forbes; Essence; E! News; and Page Six.

The video featuring Milian at the booth on Instagram generated 584,000 views on Instagram and a duet with Milian and SidClusive generated 1.8 million views. 

The TikTok video with SidClusive’s song about the air sanitizer received more than 53,000 views.