Reckitt and DCA win DBA Design Effectiveness Award

Defining a new premium segment in mass-market air-care, Air Wick achieved UK sales growth four times higher than the wider, declining category with Essential Mist.

Air Wick’s owner, Reckitt collaborated with DCA to shake up the middle-ground in home-fragrance with a brand-new product aimed at attracting younger buyers.

The new vaporiser, Essential Mist, is priced at £10 per unit (against a category average of £4.79) and justifies its price premium with a sleek, easy-to-use design informed by extensive user research.

Attractive and silent, the device is unobtrusive about the home, super-convenient to use and its technology delivers a more natural essential oils experience, meeting ‘well-being’ needs. Since its 2018 launch, household penetration has grown every year and it is now a £100 million business. The innovative design also enabled development of a connected Bluetooth version in 2020.

Essential Mist is attracting a younger consumer; 29.8% of spend is coming from under 34-year-olds, up 3.4% for Air Wick as a whole. In contrast to normal air-care usage in kitchen and bathrooms, 70% of Essential Mist Bluetooth devices are found in the bedroom and living room, reflecting its wider use around the home. 

The Design Business Association (DBA) has been measuring success, sharing excellence and best practice in design effectiveness for over 30 years. As the global leader on design effectiveness, they draw focus onto the capabilities and impact of design, championing its intrinsic value to business, government and society.  The DBA Design Effectiveness Awards celebrate and prove how powerful partnerships between clients and designers can be.

Find out more about how Air Wick Essential Mist has driven category growth with innovation here.