Air Wick

Air Wick is an American brand of air freshener that is owned by the British company Reckitt Benckiser. It was first launched by creator Guy Paschal in 1943 in the United States, and is now sold worldwide.[1]

Air Wick
Product typeAir freshener
OwnerReckitt Benckiser
CountryUnited States
Introduced1943 (1943)
MarketsGlobal
Previous ownersAirwick Industries
Websitewww.airwick.us

History

Air Wick was first introduced in 1943 in the United States.[2][3] In 1973, Air Wick had sales of $33.5 million, and earnings of $2.7 million, prompting the Swiss pharmaceutical company Ciba Geigy (now Novartis) to investigate purchasing them. Ciba Geigy took brief control of the company in 1974, before selling it to the British household products company Reckitt & Colman (now Reckitt Benckiser) in December 1984.[4]

The sale was partly motivated due to a perceived image problem of top management with their product line.[5] In October 2007, Reckitt Benckiser won a High Court ruling in a lawsuit with Procter & Gamble, over claims that the design of Air Wick Odour Stop was an exact copy of P&G's Febreze air spray.[6]

In March 2012, Air Wick announced its partnership with the official charity of the United States' National Park Service, the National Park Foundation. The company launched four new scents inspired by Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, Virgin Islands National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Glacier Bay National Park. Portions of the sales went to the National Park Foundation, to aid National Parks.[7]

Products

The current Air Wick range includes the following products:[8]

  • Scented Oils
  • Essential Mist Diffuser
  • Automatic Sprays (Timed Air Freshener)
  • Aerosol Spray
  • V.I.P Pre Poop Spray

References
  1. Science illustrated, Volume 4, New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., 1949, retrieved 2 November 2011
  2. "Air-Wick Shifts to Foote, Cone". The New York Times. 17 April 1958. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  3. "About Us: Air Wick® History | Air Wick®". www.airwick.us. Archived from the original on 2018-05-12. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  4. Salter, Malcolm S.; Weinhold, Wolf A. (1981-01-01). "Choosing Compatible Acquisitions". Harvard Business Review (January 1981). ISSN 0017-8012. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  5. Schein, Edgar H. (2004). Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass Publishers. p. 92. ISBN 0787975974.
  6. "High Court grants Reckitt right to sell Air Wick Odour Stop air freshener". Marketing Week. 11 October 2007. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  7. "Air Wick® Partners with National Park Foundation to Launch New Collection". www.businesswire.com. 2012-03-15. Archived from the original on 2015-12-05. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  8. "Air Wick® Products | Air Wick®". www.airwick.us. Archived from the original on 2018-05-15. Retrieved 2019-03-25.


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