A US soldier stationed in Qatar is sent “the scents of home” by his wife and 6 kids. That will trigger emotions.

Droga5New York’s first work for Reckitt Benckiser’s Air Wick is a tear jerker and a detour for the brand. It’s all about triggering emotions.

“A very large portion of home fragrance consumers use fragrances not to cover up odours but much more to set the atmosphere in the home,” explained Tiffany McLaud, marketing director of Air Wick.

Kearan Feller is a US soldier, stationed in the Qatar Air Force base. He has been away from home for 11 months. With Air Wick’s help, Droga5 packaged up the smells of home – a family heirloom baseball glove, apple pie and a fireplace – and sent it to him.

Air Wick experts used an instrument called a solid phase microextraction device to capture, and then recreate, the scents that remind Kearen of being at home with his wife and kids. They infused a Air Wick candles with the scents to Kearen.

“This, this smells like home. It’s something so simple, but it means so much to me,” Kearan notes in the video.

To add impact to the idea (if a mum coping on her own with six kids because her hubby is a solder wasn’t enough impact), the campaign video, includes the voices of Kearan and his wife, Cortney, who explain what it means to them and what they mean to each other.

Both Air Wick and Glade have moved away from focussing on air fresheners as a way to mask unpleasant odours in the house in the US.

In Australia, Something in the Air Wick, remains the brand slogan, but the product is seen as a way to “brighten your world”. “Lifting your mood” was 2013’s brand positioning. It is now a corollary.

Droga5 was chosen to handle Air Wick and Clearasil in May this year.

Creative credits:

Agency: Droga5

Creative chairman: David Droga

Chief creative officer: Ted Royer

Creative director: Tim Gordon

Senior copywriter: Tara Lawall

Senior Art Director: Devon Hong

Chief creation officer: Sally-Ann Dale

Head of broadcast production: Ben Davies

Production company: Über Content

Director: Keith Ehrlich

Executive producer: Steve Wi

Audio Post: Sonic Union