-The world’s leading Fabric Care company reveals how human psychology and cognitive behavioural analysis is helping to fuel its product innovation-

LONDON - Wednesday, October 1st 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE) -- P&G Fabric Care – whose global brands include Ariel, Tide, Dash, Downy and Lenor - is applying cognitive science to understand why people fall out of love with their wardrobe, leading to many of us only using 20 percent of our wardrobe, 80 percent of the time.1 P&G will utilise this knowledge to create products that can help to unleash and prolong the longevity and beauty of clothes people love. In fact, a recent survey conducted on behalf of P&G, revealed that 84 percent of women would like to reinvigorate the clothes inside of their wardrobe.

P&G’s latest research reveals that people are affected by multi-sensory influences even more than they realize, and at some point they stop wearing clothes because they lose the multi-sensorial properties that originally drew them in – their specific look, feel and handle. These cognitive – but for the most part unconscious -responses our brain makes to the sensorial properties of fabrics can mean that a garment is relegated to the back of the wardrobe and not worn again. Combining this cognitive knowledge of our multi-sensory brains with an unrivalled expertise in the science of the beauty and care of clothes, P&G Fibre Scientists have been exploring fabric care innovations to help maintain the desirable sensorial attributes of clothes, so we can wear and love them for longer.

Cognitive Science meets Fibre Science

The link between the senses and fashion choices isn’t new but what is, is the explosion of sensorial fabrics seen on catwalks and in mainstream fashion retailers. As sensorial fabrics become an even bigger part of consumers’ wardrobes, P&G has identified a need to respond; taking its 3-Step Fibre Science approach – to Clean, Protect and Enhance the clothes that people love –and applying it to benefit the multi-sensorial fabric properties that influence people’s relationship with their clothes.

The P&G vision

Vice President of P&G Fabric Care Europe, Robert van Pappelendam comments:

“It is P&G Fabric Care’s belief that people are increasingly looking to the clothing industry, as well as fabric care experts, to make fashion more accessible and easier to clean and care for. This is why we’ve been working with fashion designer Giles Deacon and respected fabric trends forecaster Première Vision, to forge a link between fabric care and fashion so we can develop products that respond to macro trends in the fashion and fabric industry. At the same time, we’ve also been working with the leading cognitive science professor, Dr Lawrence Rosenblum, to better understand how people’s perception and relationship with their clothes is unconsciously influenced by the multi-sensory properties of fabrics. This knowledge is at the very heart of our latest innovations to help us reinvigorate and lengthen the relationship consumers can have with their favourite garments.”

Working with experts

Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum, cognitive psychologist comments:

“Fabrics can evoke a range of sensations and perceptions affecting our memories, mood and even self-esteem. Human perception not only plays a part in the clothing we choose to buy, but if we still select it from our wardrobe twelve months on, we may change how we feel towards the fabric due to multi-sensorial influences. It’s fascinating to be involved in P&G Fabric Care’s response to this challenge.”

Giles Deacon, Fabric Care Global Fashion Consultant said:

“For me, designing clothes is not simply about creating an impact on a catwalk; I want my designs to be clothes that people love, feel good wearing and also last, which is why the 3-Step Fibre Science innovation led by P&G is so important. Knowing that fabrics can receive the quality of care they need to keep their shape, colour and texture is critical. P&G’s constant innovations in Fabric Care inspired my first ever machine washable designs amongst my AW14 London Fashion Week collection and the exclusive range I’ve created for Ariel and Lenor that will be unveiled this November.”

P&G Future Fabrics

P&G Fabric Care will be revealing how its 3-Step Fibre Science approach has influenced its new products at the P&G Future Fabrics event in Berlin. Now in its second year, the P&G Future Fabrics event will focus on the theme of Fabric of the Senses – the desire to experience fabric and fashion in multi-sensory dimensions. Guests will explore the revolutionary new approach to fabric care innovation that is inspired and informed by the cognitive science of human multi-sensory perception.

-ENDS-

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves approximately 4.8 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Ace®, Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Duracell®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Fusion®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Iams®, Lenor®, Mach3®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, Prestobarba®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, Wella®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

About Giles Deacon

Giles Deacon is a celebrated fashion designer renowned the world over for his playful, show-stopping designs.

After graduating from London’s Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1992, Giles chose to travel and gain experiences at different fashion houses. He spent two years working with French fashion designer Jean Charles De Castelbajac before returning to London to work for a number of High Street fashion houses. It was during this time that Giles met the owner of Bottega Veneta, and from 1998 until 2002 Giles was the head designer at Bottega Veneta and the Gucci Group.

In 2004 Deacon launched his own label GILES at London Fashion week to international acclaim. His collection received numerous awards including “British Designer of the Year” at the British Fashion Awards in 2006 and the prestigious French ANDAM Fashion Award in 2009. GILES celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2014.

About Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum

Dr. Lawrence Rosenblum is an award winning Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. He is the author of the book See What I’m Saying: The Extraordinary Powers of Our Five Senses. His research has been published widely in scientific journals and has been featured in Scientific American, The Economist, and The New York Times. He has appeared on numerous radio and television programs including Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman and BBC Horizon.

About Première Vision

Première Vision S.A. is a leading French company that has been organizing textile and fashion trade fairs since 1973. Initially local, the company has skilfully evolved to acquire a global dimension. Première Vision is today at the heart of a comprehensive international network. With twelve subsidiaries and foreign offices throughout the world, the company now organizes 32 events a year in France and in key locations such as New York, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Moscow or Brussels. Its shows are known for skillfully combining a selective, creative and complementary product offer – high-quality fabrics, accessories, yarns, fibres, and textile designs – with original, forward-looking and cutting edge fashion information.

1 Oprah Fall Shopping Guide, 2009, http://www.oprah.com/style/Fall-Shopping-Guide_1

Contacts

For further information and high resolution photography, contact:

Ketchum:

Susannah Lee

Susannah.Lee@ketchum.com

+44 207 611 3592

P&G:

Andrés Franco

Associate Director Communications, Fabric Care Europe

Franco.a@pg.com

+41 58004 7086

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