Swash: the new face of P&G

Whatever happened to the effective but rather dull old P&G where I started my career in marketing back in Victorian times?

The launch of Swash, a range of products to clean clothes without water, is another dramatic sign of a company that has transformed itself into a true marketing innovator. The new brand offers a range of products to smooth, refresh and revive clothes. UK fabric softener Comfort was into this stuff years ago with a handbag spray to refresh clothes. But the Swash launch is bigger and bolder.

Several things impress me about this launch:
1. Clever insight/targeting: cleaning products for a new generation who can’t be bothered to clean their clothes… but more than ever want to look good. Recruiting a whole new group of younger people into cleaning products who normally would not have used P&G products

2. Environmentally on trend: no water! Less electricity! Water is a BIG issue, and cleaning clothes a big consumer of water.

3. Fresh, modern tone and style: in the old P&G this was not a strength. But new P&G is matching product innovation (sausage) with a lot more emotional appeal (sizzle)

4. Online store: "who wants to go to a grocery store, that’s for my mum!" So you can buy the stuff online

The only thing I don’t like is the pointless little Tide logo. They just couldn’t resist this pointless bit of endorsement could they! Its invisible. And for those in the target who see it, the Tide branding spoils the cool, fresh feel of the brand. It takes away some of the magic.

Will be interesting to see if this is a real long term business. Or a sexy experiment that stays a niche product.