Clorox Makes Cleaning Feel Good with Neuroscience-Powered Campaign

THE SIGNAL

The Play

Clorox is leaning into emotional marketing with its new brand platform, “Clean Feels Good,” created in partnership with neurotechnology company Emotiv. The initiative uses EEG scans to track emotional responses during cleaning tasks. According to Marketing Dive, the campaign revealed that many people felt more satisfaction cleaning their homes than engaging in traditionally pleasurable activities like petting puppies. These insights shaped a multichannel effort that includes TV ads, social content, and influencer partnerships that present cleaning as a mood booster.

The Context

Clorox operates in a mature, competitive category where traditional product attributes—such as strength or scent—no longer differentiate. To deepen relevance, the brand is connecting its products to positive feelings and stress relief. This aligns with growing demand for wellness-centric household routines. The Statista household cleaners market report projects global revenue will exceed $240 billion by 2028, making emotional loyalty a high-stakes strategy.

Neuroscience is no longer limited to luxury or entertainment brands. It is entering mass-market CPG as a tool to decode and influence everyday behavior. Clorox is among the first in its category to quantify emotional impact through biometrics, then use that data to structure creative assets across digital and linear channels. The move reflects a broader shift in how brands define value—not just by performance, but by how products make people feel.

The Takeaway

• Emotions replace features
  Product efficacy is now table stakes. Clorox is using neuroscience to surface something more durable—emotional association. People do not just want a clean house. They want to feel accomplished, relaxed, or in control. This campaign visualizes that transformation.

• Neurotesting becomes brand R&D
  EEG data allowed Clorox to test not just messages, but moments. The brand pinpointed emotional peaks and built content around them. This is a new kind of research that goes beyond focus groups or surveys. It offers direct insight into how the brain reacts in real time.

• Multichannel structure reinforces emotion
  The campaign spans TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and broadcast, showing cleaning not as drudgery, but as a self-care ritual. By blending real consumer reactions with lifestyle influencer content, Clorox is framing its products as part of modern emotional hygiene.

• Signals for other categories
  If Clorox can tie toilet scrubbing to joy, other brands can make similar emotional leaps. Adjacent verticals—like laundry, dish care, or air fresheners—could follow suit. The key is using credible data and authentic storytelling to build emotional equity.

• Brand equity beyond price wars
  By associating cleaning with well-being, Clorox builds a platform that competitors cannot easily imitate. Emotional campaigns generate memory, and memory drives preference. This reduces price sensitivity and keeps Clorox top of mind in a low-attention aisle.

Clorox is not just making its products feel more effective. It is making its brand feel better to use. That is a strategic shift that could change how cleaning products are marketed for years to come.