CINCINNATI– Introducing the Febreze Fade Defy PLUG™, the microchip smart technology that is programmed to digitally manage temperatures to control how much scent is released to smell first-day fresh for 50 days (on low). Many plug-ins are stuck in the past. This new technology solves the most common consumer complaint in the category – that plug-in air fresheners release a lot of scent at first, but after a while, you barely know they’re working.
“Consumers buy plug-in air fresheners when they want their home to smell great 24/7. But we kept hearing from consumers that plug-ins don’t deliver on the advertised promise of long-lasting scent,” says Morgan Brashear, Febreze Senior Scientist. “At Febreze, we made it our mission to address the scent fade issue once and for all by applying technology in a category where most people wouldn’t expect it.”
All plug-ins have a built-in warmer that heats up the oil to release scent. As the team of Febreze product designers and scientists started their research, they believed that controlling the plug warmer’s temperature would be key to ensuring freshness that doesn’t dissipate. Consumer testing began, focused on analyzing the reported level of scent versus the plug warmer’s temperature. These temperatures were then preprogrammed into the Febreze Fade Defy PLUG microchip to make sure that the warmer would ramp up and down according to the selected scent intensity level. On the low setting, this makes it possible to get that first-day fresh smell for 50 days.
On top of this innovation, the Febreze Fade Defy PLUG is designed with a dual-wick system that automatically switches between two slightly different, complementary scents every 45 minutes. This serves a dual purpose: to ensure that consumers don’t become accustomed or “noseblind” to the scent, and to prevent the plug-in’s wick from becoming clogged so that the scent is always released freely into the air.
Febreze didn’t stop there. Knowing that consumers were also craving a visual cue that would make it easier to see when it’s time for a refill, the product team created the Febreze Fade Defy PLUG with a blue “end-of-life” LED light on top of its warmer that turns on to signal when the oil has completely run out and needs to be refilled. The programmed microchip is part of a printed circuit board (PCB) inside the plug-in device, similar to what’s inside a calculator, smart phone, or computer, and is designed to know or reset when the new refill is inserted, in addition to digitally managing the release of scent.
The Febreze Fade Defy PLUG is meant to be used in high-traffic rooms that need continuous odor elimination and fresh scent, such as the living room. To use, simply pick your level of intensity and plug it in. With digitally controlled scent release, you get the same level of freshness no matter if it’s day one or day 50.
Febreze Fade Defy PLUG is available online and at retailers nationwide starting at $5.49 MSRP, in varieties such as Linen & Sky, Gain, and LIGHT Bamboo.
About Febreze
In 1998, Procter & Gamble (P&G) gave households a breath of fresh air with the launch of Febreze®, known today as the preeminent brand for providing a fresh, clean scent and eliminating odors from fabrics and the air.
Febreze® boasts a line of products with freshness capabilities that range from ridding of pet odors and tackling sweat stink to decorating the home with scent and freshening on the go. Febreze® continues to be one of the fastest growing brands in P&G’s portfolio of household brands and bring innovative products to market. Fresh air is an essential and basic human right, and that the air we breathe can give us “fresh starts.”
