Just happened to catch an interesting short new infomercial on TV. Anthony Kennedy came on the tube, and as we all know, he hawks quite a few consumer products. But something about this commercial really got my attention. "Did you know that the leading household cleaners consist of up to 95% plain old water? Why pay extra for water?" Okay, you've got my attention!


What unfolded next in a less than a minute ad spot was absolutely brilliant. You can check it out for yourselves at www.essentialsfree.com.
Here's the gist of the campaign for Arm & Hammer's Essentials™ Multi-Surface Concentrate cleaner, in a nutshell–gleaned from the infomercial and the web page:
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Made of all natural plant-based agents (from coconuts and palm kernel oils, yet, so these are highly renewable resources) that can handle "the toughest household messes".
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Works as well as traditional cleaners sans chemical agents and fumes.
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Costs up to 25% less than traditional cleaners.
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Is available directly from Arm & Hammer® as a FREE Starter Kit. Consumers only pay $4.99 shipping and handling and order online.
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The best part: an empty 32 ounce refillable bottle is sent with a cartridge that consumers apply to the squirt bottle after filling it with tap water. . .meaning: the bottle gets used over and over again as the consumer purchases refill cartridges.
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The final coup: the tagline "Harnessing the Power of Nature"™ and this: "Arm & Hammer® Essentials™ is backed by the trusted power of Arm & Hammer®--one of the most recognized trademarks in the world".
The ad explains that the product is efficacious, safe for the family and kind to the environment since the cleaner's formula is plant-based and the same bottle can be used over and over again.
Did you know that 60 billion pounds of plastic waste ends up in landfills every year? That's enough to fill the Empire State Building 82 times!
Wow! Is this a brilliant marketing campaign, or what? Take note of how this was done. One dedicated web page. Brilliant short copy that hits every key point of concern to consumers. A link to the infomercial.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not hawking Arm & Hammer® Essentials™. Admittedly, I'm crazy about is the roll-out of this new marketing campaign, and its execution. Talk about building awareness. Talk about building direct consumer demand under the umbrella of a trusted, heritage brand. (Notice Arm & Hammer® is going directly to consumers, not pushing this through conventional distribution channels yet). Talk about getting major selling points across quickly and efficiently.
What I'd like to know, though, is this: how will consumers get the needed refills? No discussion of that. However, I'm betting that Arm & Hammer® has already anticipated this. I bet there will be information and probably coupons (?) for refills when consumers get their starter kits.
What's not to love about this product launch? This marketing launch? Especially when so many fall flat?
Questions:
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What is your feeling about this new product and the way it is being brought to market?
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Do you think Arm & Hammer® will be successful with its new Essentials™ product?
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What do you think of the company's leveraging of the "trust factor" in its Essentials™ product launch?
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What makes this more compelling to you as a consumer than other natural cleaners?