Cillit Bang

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Logo of Cillit Bang

Cillit Bang ( /ˌsɪlɪt ˈbæŋ/) (sold in some countries as Easy-Off Bam or Easy-Off Bang) is the brand name of a range of cleaning products sold by the consumer products manufacturer Reckitt. The products marketed under the brand name include a degreaser, cleaning crystals, and a grime, rust, mould and limescale remover.

Product range[]

Cillit Bang Power Grime and Lime Spray[]

Cillit Bang Grime and Lime Spray (known in some countries as Easy off Bang/Bam Power Grime and Lime Cleaner Trigger) product contains two acids: sulfamic acid and phosphoric acid. Phosphoric acid (also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric (V) acid) is a weak mineral acid with the chemical formula H₃PO₄ and applied to rusted iron or steel tools or surfaces to convert iron (III) oxide (rust) to a water-soluble phosphate compound.^{[citation needed]}

This cleaner can be used on glass, acrylic plastic, ceramics (washbasins, toilet bowls, etc.), wall and floor tiles, PVC floor coating, copper, chrome and kitchen tops. It should not be used on any acid sensitive material, such as marble or enamel, aluminium, stone, zinc plated metals, kitchen worktops, linoleum, varnished, waxed or oiled wood floors, rubber, textiles or carpets.^{[citation needed]}

A Canadian advert for the product features a disclaimer that the Royal Canadian Mint "neither endorses the product nor the method shown for the cleaning of coins".

Power Crystals

Cillit Bang Power Crystal (known outside the United Kingdom as Easy-Off Bang/Bam Power Cleaning Crystal/Quckie Clean) is a liquid for cleaning heavily stained surfaces. It contains not more than 5% of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, 15 to 30% of sodium carbonate, sodium percarbonate (the bleaching compound), and a perfume formula containing limonene.

It is a skin irritant and can cause allergic reactions in some people, so the company now advises the use of gloves or wear a plastic bag during prolonged exposure.^{[citation needed]}

Advertising campaign[]

Cillit Bang television advertisements have been presented by "Barry Scott", a brashly enthusiastic character played by Neil Burgess, who claims that Cillit Bang can remove limescale, rust and ground-in dirt. In one advert, he places a copper plated one penny coin in Cillit Bang to demonstrate the product's cleaning ability to remove staining.

The adverts were parodied by Peter Serafinowicz on The Peter Serafinowicz Show. In the parodies, the host "Derek Bum" (played by Serafinowicz) markets a product called Kitchen Gun, which is a firearm that the host uses to blast away at kitchen surfaces and appliances, cleaning and damaging them at the same time, and Toilet Grenade, a hand grenade covered in white paint that demolishes the toilet bowl to eliminate limescale.

In January 2016, Reckitt Benckiser launched its first global campaign, starring dancer Daniel Campos.^[1]

International versions of the advert use different presenters, known as Martin Grellis in Australia and New Zealand, and Dan Dolan in North America, although recent^[when?] spots feature Neil Burgess as Barry Scott. Dan demonstrates the cleaning methods seen in the Cillit Bang adverts and also cleans oil spills. The North American versions of the advertisement use the appropriate one-cent coin (a Lincoln cent in the United States, a 1953–1964 one cent coin in Canada).

Viral marketing controversy[]

In 2005 blogger Tom Coates wrote an emotional post to his blog about his long-estranged father. Among the expressions of condolences and sympathy in the post's comment section was one from a user identifying themselves as Cillit Bang mascot Barry Scott, with a link back to the fictional character's blog operated by Reckitt-contracted advertising company Cohn & Wolfe as a viral marketing platform. Offended by the apparent use of his blog comments on such a personal post as a spam advertising venue, Coates traced the comment's originating IP address through addresses owned by Young & Rubicam and back to Reckitt. Reckitt initially denied responsibility for the message but wrote Coates an apology acknowledging the message's inappropriateness, and Cohn & Wolfe issued a statement of remorse for their misuse of the "experimental" blog which they then ceased operating.^[2][3][4]

The controversy and its fallout led to further discussions among the blogger community as well as the advertising industry on the ethical issues surrounding blogs being "operated" by fictional characters for the purposes of advertising without being clearly labeled as such, and the extent to which those blogs should be allowed to participate in the greater blogosphere.^[5][6][7]

Outside Europe[]

The product is sold as Easy-Off BAM (a brand extension of Reckitt Benckiser's popular oven cleaner) in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Mexico, and as "Easy-Off BANG" in South Africa and Korea, with similar packaging and spray bottle design. In Brazil it is sold as "Veja", a brand extension. The full line, such as common cleaners, kitchen and oven cleaner, is the most popular brand sold there.

Industrial use[]

In August 2009, it was revealed that household cleaners such as Cillit Bang and Mr. Muscle have been used to clean plutonium stains at the defunct Dounreay nuclear power station in Caithness, Scotland.^[8][9][10]

References[]

External links[]

• Official web site
• Easy-Off BAM official web site
• Reckitt Benckiser Product Information