The Cult of Hygiene

I would like to take the time to do a close extended analysis of a particularly dubious example of advertising. This Lysol Disinfectant ad plays off of peoples’ instinctual desire to protect themselves and defend their family from harm. The ad creates a hysteria of sorts surrounding germs that creates the desire, if not the need, to buy the disinfectant product in defense against the prolific and malevolent germs.

In order to create desire, they first create fear; the fear of germs. The commercial shows a happy family’s suburb home as their children play in the living room. The house and family are meant to portray the “norm” of American living and interpolate the viewer’s own family and home into the ad’s environment. As the “dad” enters the house, he unsuspectingly tracks in germs that resonate everywhere he touches. These germs quickly spread across the house (even by the children, oh will anyone think of the children!) and are represented with horrifying animations and intense music. This aspect of the ad is meant to further play off the viewers interpolation by causing them to feel that they are equally vulnerable to germs and that those germs are multiplying all around them in order to cause them (and their family) harm. The narration adds to this effect with the highly exaggerated statement “Fact: by spreading dirt, you’re actually spreading germs.” The premise of fact adds to the legitimacy of the advertisement and legitimates the fear of germs. It is interesting to observe how the ad includes a scene of the father attempting to wash his hands of the germs he is spreading. However, in doing so he only spreads more germs. This act is meant to illegitimize the classic means of eliminating germs, further prioritizing the need for a better solution. As the drama of the commercial peeks, Lysol disinfectant comes in accompanied with a happy jingle to save the day. Subsequent shots follow of “mom” roaming the house with Lysol in hand, destroying the germs. This is joined with narration that parallels the original statement, “That’s why you need Lysol…It cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes…Lysol protects, that’s a fact.” In this way, Lysol is implying that its disinfectant is the only/best means to eliminate the “harmful” bacteria in one’s home. It also suggests that your family deserves the best protection from germs, and Lysol is the only/perfect solution. After the house is cleansed and deodorized, the ad shows a happy and satisfied mother standing proud in her clean home as her family continues joyfully playing. In this way, Lysol has employed a rather familiar theme; the cult of hygiene. This same theme was employed in the 1950’s Lysol add for feminine hygiene products where it linked acceptance and happiness with cleanliness. In the present Lysol add, a similar connection is made.

Another ad that plays on the same anxiety about germs and family protection is coincidently another Lysol commercial for hand sanitizer. This ad uses the same scare tactics of germs infiltrating the family. It places even further emphasis on the need to protect family from germs. It does this particularly well by putting a defenseless infant in danger of being “contaminated” by the ever-present threat of germs. Like the other ad, it provides that the Lysol hand sanitizer is the perfect solution for defending the family against the horrific germs. In particular, it subtly suggests the frequent application of the product through stating, “Your hands may be exposed to millions of germs throughout the day.” Thus, a desire is not only created to buy the product, but buy often. In the end the mother and children are happy in their “germ free” environment.

Though the statements in this ad may have a basis in fact, the “germs” portrayed in the animations are gross exaggerations. In fact, the germs tracked in with dirt are relatively harmless. However, by portraying these everyday germs as harmful, it creates readily consuming Mysophobes of us all. The truth of the matter is that people have lived for thousands of years amongst germs. The ad simply ignores the human body’s immune system and portrays all germs as seemingly life threatening. Furthermore, the old fashioned method of hand washing has served to protect people from any harmful cold/flu germs. Even more ridiculous, is considering the logic of the ad about the spread of germs. One would have to apply the hand sanitizer or surface sanitizer every time the surface or hand touches something in order to remain “clean”. Though this is an incredibly useful selling strategy for the product, it is far from practical. This reveals that the product is not actually selling a means to remain disinfected, but rather the idea or piece of mind that cleanliness brings. When considering these real facts, it is easy to see how desire for Lysol’s sanitizing and cleansing products are entirely constructed. The ad’s played off our own fears and insecurities to create anxieties and, in turn, desires.