Febreeze’s Mood Collection debuts merging scents with sound by new musicians

09 Aug 2023 --- In line with the trend of scent innovation targeting mental wellness, Febreze has introduced its Mood Collection, a set of three blended scents designed to set the atmosphere of rooms in the home.

Each scent in the Mood Collection features fragrance notes known to evoke certain moods – such as citrus for energy, roses for romance, and shea butter for calming.

Additionally, marking a departure from traditional Febreze offerings like Linen & Sky or Mediterranean Lavender, the variety is “named for the mood it evokes, rather than the fragrance profile.”

“Our research revealed consumers are interested in air care not only as a way to fight odors and leave a fresh scent behind, but specifically as a way to impact their moods,” says Angelica Matthews, Febreze brand vice president.

“The new Mood Collection delivers on an emotional need. Not only does it just smell great, but it helps consumers shift from considering how an air freshener can make their room smell, to how an air freshener can make their room feel.”

Scent craft in product development is becoming increasingly refined as brands seek to leverage the growingly popular mood-boosting positioning.Scent and sound
To celebrate the launch, Febreze partnered with three up-and-coming musicians to produce songs that complement each of the three new Mood Collection scents. 

The Febreze setlist includes “Refresh & Energize” by Four Washington. Four Washington is a breakout family band from Jackson, Mississippi, which gained fame on TikTok. Siblings Cameron, Carmen, Reginald Jr. and Arrianna produce acapella covers of popular songs.

The “Refresh & Energize” song was inspired by Four Washington’s signature vocal harmonies, using upbeat instrumentals to capture the energizing vibe created by Refresh & Energize. It also reflects the group’s love of diverse harmonies coming together as one – the same way the varying scent cues blend together to create a unique and inspired scent.

The second song on the setlist is “Romance & Desire” by Wé Ani. Wé Ani’s is known  for her soulful performance on The Voice. Since then, she has become a top-five finalist on season 21 of American Idol. She is a humanitarian and a worldwide ambassador for World Vision.

“Romance & Desire” is described as a romantic homage to classic R&B, before transforming into a dynamic vocal performance from Wé. This slow buildup and the powerful, yet refined production, were composed to capture the mood created by Romance & Desire.

The next song on the setlist, “Soothe & Restore,” was performed by Ebony Loren, a 22-year-old singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles making acoustic pop music with heavy R&B and jazz influences. Ebony’s signature acoustic, soft pop style “reflects the mood evoked by Soothe & Restore.” She took creative inspiration from “sweet and soothing notes” aiming to create a track that was “calming, yet uplifting.”

“The new songs help amplify the emotional effect of each Mood Collection scent in the home by harmonizing scent with sound,” states Febreeze. “The collaborations will live on TikTok and the radio, and represent yet another way Febreze is providing a platform for up-and-coming artists to share their talents with a broader audience.”

Emotions of scent
Smells bring about psychological influences on humans, which is driving the popularity of mood-boosting scent ingredients in product development across the board.

Last December, fragrance house Firmenich introduced a range of fragrances branded Focus, powered by EmotiCODE. The scents are designed to give consumers the benefit of improved focus and help them get into a state of flow.

Aside from product development, the study of smell is being explored more in depth in marketing strategies. Fragrance house Givaudan recently kickstarted a project that uses neuroscience and AI to translate scent profiles into color patterns for better fragrance branding. The company aims to broaden its “feel colors, smell emotions” approach in perfumery.

Next to the exploration of consumers’ psychological perceptions of scent-based stimuli, researchers at IFF have been examining emotional triggers linked to textures in personal care and beauty formulas.

By Benjamin Ferrer