Media-driven public health campaigns have increasingly relied on structured communication approaches such as Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC), Behaviour Change Communication (BCC), and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) to influence knowledge, attitudes, and practices. One of the most significant examples in recent years is the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), which combined mass media outreach with community engagement to improve sanitation practices and eliminate open defecation. Analysing this campaign through the lens of SBCC reveals both notable outcomes and critical limitations from a health and environmental journalism perspective. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, launched in 2014, aimed to make India open defecation free (ODF) and improve solid waste management. The campaign used an SBCC framework rather than merely an IEC approach. While IEC focuses primarily on disseminating information, SBCC integrates social norms, community participation, interpersonal communication, and sustained engagement to influence behaviour at multiple levels—individual, family, community, and institutional. The campaign utilized television advertisements, radio jingles, social media messaging, celebrity endorsements, school-based programs, and grassroots mobilization through local leaders and health workers. From an SBCC perspective, the campaign targeted not just awareness but social norms. Open defecation was reframed from being a routine rural practice to a socially undesirable and unhealthy act. Media messaging often associated toilet use with dignity, particularly women’s dignity and safety. Advertisements highlighted the health risks of poor sanitation, such as diarrheal diseases and child mortality, connecting sanitation to broader public health outcomes. By combining emotional appeals with scientific information, the campaign moved beyond simple instruction and sought to reshape community attitudes. One significant outcome of the campaign was the massive increase in toilet construction across rural India. Official data suggested that millions of toilets were built within a few years, and numerous districts declared themselves ODF. Media coverage amplified these achievements, creating a sense of national momentum.