Coming out of the pandemic, Clorox became synonymous with disinfecting and germ-fighting, diminishing its relevance as an everyday cleaning companion. Recognizing the need to evolve, Clorox set out to reshape perceptions and rekindle its connection to cleaning through a new brand platform, Clean Feels Good, which encompassed the idea that cleaning can be a simple and unexpected spark of joy in every day life and launched Q1 2025. We set out to convince consumers of this simple but powerful idea and shift brand perception by grounding the campaign in original, conversation-starting research.
To anchor the campaign in credibility, Clorox partnered with neurotech leader Emotiv to conduct a bold neuroscience experiment using electroencephalography (EEG) technology. The study measured real-time brain activity including positive emotions, enthusiasm and approach motivation while participants took part in three cleaning activities – wiping the counter, scrubbing the toilet and cleaning the sink – and seven feel-good activities – playing with puppies, getting a massage, getting a manicure, listening to music, watching a funny video, playing a video game and drinking a favorite beverage like coffee or tea. Then, Emotiv created a feel-good index quantifying each participant's emotional response, equipping us with scientific-backed insights that were leveraged across paid, earned and owned tactics. Key findings included:
Wiping a kitchen counter produced a 6.1% higher feel-good neural response than getting a massage
Cleaning the toilet triggered a neural response equivalent to playing video games or listening to a favorite song
Petting a puppy felt only 5% better than cleaning the toilet
Cleaning a sink felt just as good as sipping your favorite beverage
To strengthen our insights, we conducted a nationwide online survey of 2,000 Americans to benchmark the perceived emotional value of cleaning tasks among Millennial and Gen Z audiences. Combined with the neuroscience findings, this self‑reported data shaped the brand’s messaging and served as the foundation for our creative advertising, owned content and media materials.
To begin seeding our forthcoming experiment results and build buzz, we kicked off with a teaser phase in mid-February including:
Through an existing strategic Bravo partnership, Real Housewives star Lisa Barlow sparked conversation across @bravotv and Clorox channels, playfully challenging whether cleaning rivals her glam routine.
Top cleaning and lifestyle creators including Vanesa Amaro, Terrence Bradshaw and Uly & Ernesto joined in, prompting their followers with provocative “cleaning vs. feelgood” questions.
To further fuel early buzz on social, premium mailers featuring mood-boosting items nodding to our experiment’s activities were distributed to cleaning enthusiasts.
In March, we officially launched across earned, owned and paid channels including:
New TV spots revealing top findings from our experiment aired across digital and social channels.
We conducted broad outreach including leveraging Clorox’s VP of Marketing to speak to the ‘why’ behind our campaign.
A groundswell of owned social and influencer content – including social integrations with macro-meme Instagram accounts from FJerry and Doing Things – went live to spark consumer engagement and discussion around our experiment.
We brought the experiment to life in New York City with an immersive media experience with top-tier editors from CNN Underscored, Today.com and Real Simple. Attendees participated in feel-good activities and got their brainwaves measured by Emotiv partners. As a nod to our teaser content, Bravolebrities Dorinda Medley and Lisa Barlow hosted, generating significant press coverage and amplifying the event through social coverage on their own channels.
We partnered with Snap to create a custom AR filter inspired by our experiment, prompting consumers to share what they think feels good.
The campaign not only reshaped consumers’ emotional connection to Clorox but delivered clear, measurable business impact.
Business Impact: To assess whether emotionally led storytelling could translate from brand affinity into tangible business outcome, we conducted a post-campaign brand lift study which found:
Brand Preference & Purchase Intent: Among those exposed to the campaign, brand favorability soared to 85%, and intent to buy reached 93%.
Product Attribute Perceptions: The emotional storytelling not only inspired joy but reinforced perceptions of cleaning efficacy. Consumers reported increased preference for products that delivered an effective clean.
Behavior Change: 1 in 10 campaign viewers reported cleaning more frequently, directly linking emotional resonance to real-world action.
Campaign Reach & Engagement:
271M+ impressions earned media impressions
37 in-person event attendees
1M+ influencer impressions with 5.68% average engagement rate (compared to our 3.77% benchmark)
3M+ impressions from 50 total feel-good mailers
258.9K earned social impressions from event attendees