Unilever Laundry Additive

Transformative proactive hygienic laundry.

Unilever envisioned laundry as more than just cleaning because it sought to embed sanitization and insect repellent properties directly into fabrics without changing user behavior or adding complexity. RKS helped translate this vision into a tangible, scalable product.

Elevating laundry into personal wellness.

Client

Markets

What We Did

RKS conducted ethnographic studies across emerging and developed markets, revealing that people inherently touch their clothing throughout the day, presenting a unique opportunity for hygiene innovation embedded within fabric. With our Psycho‑Aesthetics® methodology, we mapped emotional drivers like trust, protection, and empowerment to position the concept within Unilever’s Nightingale Opportunity Zone.

Research Insights & Discovery

KEY OUTPUTS

User Personas

Psycho-Aesthetics® 2.0 Map

Opportunity Areas & Design Criteria

How We Used Psycho-Aesthetics™ to Identify Unique Opportunities in the Project.

Using our proprietary Psycho-Aesthetics® 2.0 framework, we conducted in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation in diverse lab settings. We identified key emotional and usability pain points — such as intimidation with complex interfaces, workspace clutter, and trust in precision. These insights guided both the form and interface strategy, ensuring approachability and confidence in operation.

RKS explored advanced fabric technologies such as self sanitizing molecular coatings, antimicrobial fragrance systems, and insect repelling finishes. Varying mechanisms including effervescence for visual feedback and Lotus Effect textile coatings were prototyped and iterated for wear comfort, longevity, and textile integrity.

Industrial Design Concept Development

KEY OUTPUTS

Form Factor Concepts

CMF Strategy

Refined Industrial Design Language

The visual identity and messaging embraced wellness and emotional reassurance. RKS crafted branding that communicated a hygiene product seamlessly integrated into daily life, reflected through identity systems, packaging, and ecosystem messaging.

Branding Design

KEY OUTPUTS

Brand messaging architecture

Visual identity system

Packaging concepts

Consumer testing refined texture, fragrance, and sensory impact. RKS collaborated with Unilever’s global business teams to deploy a Hero’s Journey–based engagement strategy, identifying pilot markets in India and the Netherlands, and projecting a €69M revenue target by Year 5. Partnerships with health organizations and retail channels were mapped to drive adoption with impact.

Prototyping & Commercial Strategy

KEY OUTPUTS

Iterative user testing cycles

Strategic market roll out plan

Sustainability aligned onboarding strategy

The Unilever Laundry Additive project embodies RKS Design’s capability to embed emotional, functional, and sustainability innovations into everyday consumer products. Through deep behavioral insight, design enabled hygiene science, and strategic branding, we helped pioneer a new category of fabric based public health solutions, turning daily clothing into everyday wellness tools.

Strategy

Design

Development