Redefining “Fresh and Clean”

The Wall Street Journal’s Ellen Byron asks “Is the Smell of Moroccan Bazaar Too Edgy for American Homes?”

Byron gives a concise history of how the fragrances of American cleaning products have evolved from a primitive condition of bleach and ammonia to the complex, fantasy accords we smell today. She also describes how consumer products giants like Procter & Gamble and Clorox keep up with the ever-changing aesthetic definition of “fresh and clean.”

In discussing scent marketing in What the Nose Knows, I emphasized that smelling nice isn’t enough—a fragrance has to make sense in the context of the product’s overall message. Thus, my favorite part of Byron’s story is where she quotes Michael Ott, director of research and development for Clorox:

Pine-Sol, also owned by Clorox, avoids fragrances that seem
too gentle. Current Pine-Sol fragrances include Wild Flower
Blast and Mountain Energy.

“The scent experience needs to be aligned with the message
you’re trying to communicate—Pine-Sol needs to scream
‘power,’” Mr. Ott says. “You’ll never have a rose-petal Pine-Sol;
that’s almost comical.”

Exactly right.