- Elaine Wong

Endust, a brand of Sara Lee, has added a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic spray to its family of aerosol cleaners. The spray also sports a new design: a sleeker, curvier can.

The 10-oz. Endust aerosol surface cleaner began shipping this month and will be at full distribution in September, said Sara Lee marketing director Stan Stoltzfus. It retails for $3.99.

Since products like these typically have a long purchase cycle (averaging one or two consumer purchases per year), the company decided on a mix of in-store promotions, coupons, FSIs and a frequent shopper database program, Stoltzfus said. Ads carry the tagline: "A quick clean that's hypoallergenic." Adventure Communications, Exton, Pa., handles.

Sara Lee didn't disclose the cost of the campaign, but said it is "the biggest launch yet for the Endust brand" and the figure is in the "multimillions." Sara Lee spent $350,000 advertising the Endust line in 2006 (excluding online), and increased the spending to $5 million in 2007, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.

Stoltzfus said the product's targeted niche—namely consumers who experience respiratory problems associated with cleaning—called for a distinct packaging to draw attention to its one SKU. The current Endust line includes a Lemon Zest and Citrus Burst cleaner, and a compressed air duster. All have aerosols that are cylindrical-shaped. But the new fragrance-free duster comes with a twist-off cap similar to ones found on sunscreen containers.

A survey conducted by Sara Lee, Downers Grove, Ill., found that 30% of consumers reported that someone in their household was irritated when using cleaning sprays. However, 60% of consumers who clean said they prefer aerosol cans, so Sara Lee decided to stick with this type of packaging.

Sara Lee claims its fragrance-free, hypoallergenic spray has 60% less VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than the current California limit. Despite the claim, Richard Corsi, an indoor environmental science professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said fewer VOCs are not always a good measure of a product's environmental impact.

"There are some products with relatively high VOC content that are relatively benign, while others might have much lower VOC content but may be quite harmful. So total VOC is not the best metric for comparison," Corsi said.

While that may be the case, the Endust spray does offer a good alternative to some consumers, said Robert Passikoff, founder of Brand Keys, New York. "Are there people who would prefer to have a hypoallergenic product on a rational basis? Yes," he said. "If there is added value, people will pay for it."