- Elaine Wong

Procter & Gamble is giving its Febreze brand more user-friendly packaging and will attempt to convince consumers the line is effective at odor-fighting in the home, not just on fabrics, with a new TV, print and online campaign.

Febreze assistant brand manager Ciare Thorn said company research found that consumers were already using the product as an air freshener. The relaunch is part of what P&G calls its "whole home freshness," she said. "We want consumers to take time to enjoy their home, the way it smells and how it makes them feel. This restaging of our product is really speaking to that consumer insight. If consumers are looking to freshen their home, then this is the product for them."

A 15-second TV spot shows a couple spraying their home with Febreze and inhaling the mist. Voiceover: "The Febreze that freshens your fabrics now has a new, finer mist that freshens the air as well. It's the single greatest thing ever to happen in your home." Tagline: "Surround yourself with freshness." Grey Worldwide, New York, handles.

P&G has also redesigned the Febreze bottles to be more user-friendly. This includes an ergonomic design for less hand fatigue, reduced leakage and minimized nozzle sticking and "quacking." Print and in-store displays also support, in addition to an online sweepstakes campaign to win a $2,000 home theater surround system with Blue-Ray technology.

Leslie Moeller, vp of Booz & Company, Cleveland, Ohio, said the strategy allows Febreze to branch out into other product categories while growing the overall brand.

"One way to get to the billion-dollar mark is not to just be a brand, but also to stand for benefits and in this case, it's about refreshing and good smelling through freshness. And P&G has taken that to a lot of categories, from candles to clothes to now your room as well," he said.

But whether or not consumers buy into the idea of a fabric freshener/odor eliminator remains to be seen. "It's a little bit of a stretch, to be honest with you," Moeller said after watching the Febreze commercial. "But they're a thoughtful company, so they probably have good reason to believe it'll happen. It's something to watch, I would think."

P&G introduced Febreze in 1996. The brand is on its way to becoming the company's 25th billion-dollar label after Gillette Fusion. Spending for the new campaign was not disclosed. P&G spent $190 million advertising Febreze last year (excluding online) and $56 million through May of this year, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.