P&G Breathes Life into Febreze Campaign

Cincinnati — Procter & Gamble's latest marketing campaign for its Febreze brand encouraged consumers to "Breathe Happy." In lighthearted TV ads, the company conducted what it calls "extreme odor experiments" with actual consumers, and then reinforced its message through various in-store marketing tools and a series of events."'Breathe Happy' puts Febreze products to the test by proving to real people that freshness and scent can transform the air around them," says Febreze brand manager Scott Beal. P&G's research showed that consumers are strongly influenced by smell and that surrounding freshness can deliver happiness, he notes. Procter & Gamble, which conducted a "Scentsus" survey and posted data on Febreze.com, found that 59% of men and women would tell a close friend that friends' houses smelled badly, and 81% agreed that a pleasant smelling environment equals a clean environment.Those ideas were reflected in the TV ads. In one scenario, a group of blindfolded consumers are led into a dilapidated hotel lobby whose furniture had been sprayed with Febreze. They are asked to identify the odors, and their responses include "lilac" and "beachy." When their blindfolds are removed, the consumers are shocked to discover where they are.P&G carried the theme and videos through to retailers. Walmart featured new Febreze shelf tags, signage and endcap displays affixed with video monitors that continuously ran the TV spots.The campaign kicked off at a Summer Solstice event in New York's Times Square, where Febreze created a freshness and scent oasis with branded towels, samples and live scent experiments with 8,000 participants. Febreze also hit the Gilroy (Calif.) Garlic Food Festival in July, distributing samples and misting fans to passersby. At the 2011 BlogHer Conference in San Diego, an experiment similar to the one in the commercial asked blindfolded participants to identify the odors in a replication of a teenage boy's bedroom.Procter & Gamble, which staged a sweepstakes on the Febreze Facebook page, also solicited consumers' input through social media. Consumers could submit their own "Breathe Happy" moments on the Febreze Facebook page or via Twitter, as well as at the "Breathe Happy" events. P&G also partnered with the Macaroni Kid blog on a Halloween promotion to spray kids' costumes as part of National Costume Swap Day. "We will continue to spread this idea delivering unique opportunities in-store, at events across the country and on Facebook," says Beal.Agencies Grey Group (advertising) MSLGroup (public relations), Possible Worldwide (digital), G2 (in-store marketing), Starcom MediaVest Group (communications strategy and media planning) and Landor (packaging design) participated in the Febreze campaign.

P&G Breathes Life into Febreze Campaign

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