grease + grime = gone!

Looks like we're getting some SLIGHTLY updated labels for the all-surface spray cleaners (layout changes, new "grease + grime" circle, different background patterns.) And an updated name in "multi-surface" from their current "all-surface" (which was originally "all-purpose". Whew!) Thoughts?

the house that method cleans!

...And let the method lust contest begin! Just in time for all you readers to snatch up your digital cameras and get busy over the weekend!

So what's the contest you ask? And what are all these images of someone's beautiful home, you ask? Who could live in such an amazing palace of charm and sophistication? Why, it's indeed a work of art! It's too much for my simple eyes to take in all at once! Please, please, let me rest my mind of all the grace and modern amazement! Let me... ok, ok! I get it. I'll stop now. I'm so jesting with you! (No, really I am. I am... right? Hmm...) Ok, so this happens to be my humble little abode, and this is your contest! (Well, my humble little abode ISN'T your contest, but it sorta is... oh, just keep reading!)

The brand new method lust contest is simple! And it's your chance to win not only an awesome peppermint vanilla aroma stick set, but a few other method goodies that'll come with it! It's like a surprise method box! Whee! And this, my fellow friends, is what I want from you! (See, contests and prizes never come without a catch. Well, ok, some do. This one, not so much!)

I want YOU to send me a minimum of three photographs of "the house that method cleans!" Meaning, YOUR house! Cause you read method lust, you lust method, you clean houses, method makes house cleaning products, put that all together, and you got well, you know what you got! A clean house, all thanks to those wonderous method products! And we wanna see your clean house! In all it's beautiful glory! Or hey, we'll look at your dirty house, too (if you don't mind some snickering and whispers from some people in the back. Ok, that might not be nice, so maybe we should just stick to the clean houses!)

Three (or more) pics of rooms from your home! That's all you gotta do! Send'em in to me (directions below) and you're entered! And you're not only entered once, but your name is entered TWICE! (Oh, and just so you knows, those pics, yes, they WILL end up on method lust! Ha ha! So, I just thought I'd let you know! But come on, if I can post MY house up here, surely you can post yours, too! Right, right! Let the world know about that great little space you live in! We wanna see!)

Now, if you're shy, there's ANOTHER way to enter into the contest! Send in your method advocate spotlight! You've read them, you've seen them, you know they're better than ever now! So go on, send it in! And I'll enter your name ONCE into the contest! BUT, and here's the huge'o news! If you send in your advocate spotlight (which is so freakin' simple to do!) AND your "the house the method cleans!" three little bit'tle photos, you'll be entered into the contest, not once, not twice, NOT three times, but FOUR big times!

This is how it works, I'll write your name on a piece of paper (so that's four pieces of paper, if you enter both ways! Four, I say! Fo' big chances to win!) And at the end of the contest, I'm gonna old style throw all those names into a big orange bowl, shake well, salt lightly, pepper a little, and PICK a winner! Tada! Just like method lust's last contest winner!

So, what ARE you waiting on? Here are the rules:

"The house that method cleans!" contest rules: Take three pics of rooms in your home, which you clean with method products, and send them to me! Done! (Don't forget to include your name, just so you know, it's really helpful that way!)

and Advocate Spotlight contest rules: go here! And again, done!

This contest will end on 2/15/2009! So get going! You know you lust some peppermint vanilla aroma sticks! (And much more! I'm keeping the rest a hush, hush surprise! Cause that's what a contest is all about! Yes, yes, it is. Stop trying to make me tell you. Now, go, shoot! Send! Win!)

the silent persuader

I sniffed out (bah-dum! Oh, that was bad, so very bad. It'll all make sense in a moment...) this great article from over on happi.com, all about scents! (See, I told you, bad!)

"Fragrance moves consumers toward purchasing household products
by Melissa Meisel, Associate Editor

Watch a consumer in a store aisle. She will either put a household product immediately in the cart or she will stop, compare labels, prices, and then smell the selections.

The fragrance of a household product nearly always plays a very large role in its marketability, according to Dr. Achille Riviello, perfumer, household applications, Drom Fragrances International, Germany, either to influence decisions at the point of purchase or lead to a repeat purchase.

Sales of household cleaners totaled $1.6 billion in U.S. supermarkets, drugstores and mass merchandisers excluding Wal-Mart, according to Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) for the year ended Oct. 7, 2007. Throw in laundry detergent and sales jump to $5.1 billion. So, what is it about fragrance that plays a part in moving these products?

Sway to Pay
“In today’s market, efficacy is a given,” notes Debbie Nencheck, vice president of marketing, fragrances at Takasago International, Rockleigh, NJ. “Fragrance is the key point of difference that allows consumers to make choices based on personal preferences from an ever-growing selection of scent choices. It’s the silent persuader that aids in consumer differentiation to support product promises and benefits.”

“When it comes to household products, fragrance is absolutely a part of the selection process. When you work hard to clean your house, the fragrance says ‘job well done.’ It’s your reward and it’s a signal to your guests that your home is clean,” says Michelle Harper, director of fragrance evaluation at Arylessence, Marietta, GA. “With modern, busy lifestyles, fragrance plays an even more important role than ever before. There may be less time to clean house, but people still want their guests to walk in and think clean.”

Mei Xu, a fragrance expert at Chesapeake Bay Candle Company, Rockville, MD, who created room sprays in exotic scents such as tealeaf & papaya and jasmine & juniper, notes that current health trends also play a part in scent selections. “Aromatherapy is a very popular concept today. Consumers do select home fragrances based on the effects the scents may have on their health. For example, lavender and vanilla are known for their calming influences and grapefruit is known for its reviving, uplifting effects,” Ms. Xu tells Happi.

Some companies use their own staff as the best test market for choosing what fragrances will be the next big thing. For instance, Séverine Mathé, product development director for Fruits & Passion, a home care company based in Candiac, Quebec, tells Happi, “We don’t decide on a particular fragrance in a pre-determined fashion. We brief our perfumers to guide them on what we are looking for, but we give them a lot of creative freedom.”

Ms. Mathé cites as an example the company’s Cucina orange sanguinelli & fennel kitchen spray. “After we launched the lime zest & cypress fragrance, we weren’t planning on launching another citrus-based fragrance within a year’s time. However, when we smelled the orange sanguinelli & fennel fragrance (launched in 2007), we instantly loved it since it was a new interpretation of an orange fragrance, which we hadn’t smelled before. Rather than smelling the zest of the fruit, you could smell the pulp, its more ‘juicy’ side. The fennel adds a light ‘green’ touch, which blends perfectly with the orange.

“Basically, we go with our instincts and whether we ‘fall in love’ with a fragrance, while keeping in mind that we want all the Cucina fragrances to complement each other.”

The other fragrances in Cuchina’s home care collection include coriander & olive tree, fig & fresh herbs, zucchini flower & truffles and ginger & Sicilian lemon.

In the Wash
One category that is especially influenced by fragrance is laundry products, according to Allison Yang, fabric care external relations manager, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH. She tells Happi: “We’ve seen in fabric care that scent is very important to many consumers. That may mean that they are drawn to a product with no scent or a light scent for sensitive skin, or a stronger, bold scent to indulge in.”

Ms. Yang also notes that some consumers also want different scents for different loads—meaning that they have several different laundry detergents and fabric softeners at hand to do the job. “For example, some people may wash their everyday clothes in our Pure Essentials line, their linens in our Simple Pleasures line and their exercise clothes in our Febreze line,” says Ms. Yang.

Pure Essentials is one of the latest P&G additions to the Bounce, Downy and Tide collections. Touted as “naturally-inspired scents that moms will love,” both the Bounce dryer sheets and Downy fabric softeners are available in scent variants of aloe and white lilac or chamomile and lemon verbena; Tide detergents are offered with baking soda and a white lilac scent or with citrus extracts and lemon verbena.

The products in the Pure Essentials line complement each other, as it is common that consumers want the same scents across their laundry detergents and fabric enhancers, according to the P&G fabric care external relations manager. Ms. Yang notes that due to this demand over the past two years, her company coordinated the Tide, Downy and Bounce lines to “enhance the overall scent experiences in fabrics.”

On-Trend Scents
Fragrance is a basic component of a household product, but the palette which to choose from has expanded over the years to suit a variety of different preferences.

According to Ms. Nencheck at Takasago, fragrances for home care continue to be influenced by clean, fresh and natural impressions. She notes, “From crisp citrus in cleaners to an assortment of fruits and florals in liquid dish soap to the growing complexity and fantasy escapism in fabric care—fragrances provide a distinctive message to communicate caring and create a welcoming home environment.”

Wendy Warus, marketing director, home care for Henkel, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ, agrees. “In household cleaners, fragrances that denote clean are always popular,” she tells Happi. Henkel recently launched its Purex Natural Elements line with three “naturally fresh-inspired” scents. According to the company, in developing the new line infused with natural fragrance extracts, Purex anticipated upcoming fragrance trends to give consumers a laundry product that is pleasing to smell. The Purex Natural Elements collection features trademarked combinations of linen & lilies, apple & melon and cherry blossoms & vanilla.

“We have analyzed the ‘scent of clean’ and the consumer’s expectations when they think of ‘clean’—remember, these messages and expectations can be subliminal, connecting to emotion and memory,” notes Karen Mack, a senior evaluator of applied research and new technology at Arylessence. “The modern ‘scent of clean’ is communicated through fresh citrus, complex citrus accords, floral ozone, fresh florals, crisp fruits and sheer orientals.

Ms. Mack also points to the classics as leaders in the fragrance forum. “Pine and lemon are the longest standing fragrance variants in household products. They have been around for a very long time and continue to be strong performers today. Their popularity links to their efficacy,” she says.

She notes that pine terpenes are strong degreasers and this links the sense of smell to function. “The fact that pine oil was used as the germ killing active in many of the original EPA registered disinfectants leads to people associating this heritage smell with successful cleaning. The smell of pine is certainly a signal of clean,” says Ms. Mack.

Lemon oil has been used to dust and condition wood furniture since ancient times, and accoring to Ms. Mack, “People still associate the smell of Lemon Pledge with clean today.” The clean citrus character of lemon easily found its way into dish detergents in the early 1980’s, says the senior evaluator for Arylessence. Colgate Palmolive’s Ajax and Lever Brothers’ Sunlight added label claims indicating they contained real lemon juice.

“Citrus terpenes are also excellent degreasers and dishwashing liquid advertising told consumers’ that the added lemon juice meant grease cutting,” says Ms. Mack. “Lemon fragrance also signals efficacy to consumers. Apple is another important consideration for conveying clean and fresh messages.”

Modern Combinations
Mike Kinsey, section head household care fragrance development, P&G, notes that while still a popular scent in household products, over the past couple of years, fragrances that consumers perceive as clean and fresh have evolved beyond citrus and into broader trend-related categories.

One recent example is the launch of new scents consistent with the emerging “comfort” trend, says Mr. Kinsey. Notes such as lavender and vanilla were utilized across several P&G household brands (Tide, Downy, Febreze) with a positive consumer response.

A second example of the evolution of fragrances in household care is the rise of scents with a nature/natural category, says Mr. Kinsey. “As we saw with the success of scents like Febreze’s Meadows & Rain as well as Tide Pure Essentials, the connection between fragrances associated with the outdoors and consumer perception of cleaning/freshness is very logical,” he tells Happi.

The Mr. Clean brand has taken the scent experience to another level by offering “a new freshness benefit with their tough cleaning products,” says Mr. Kinsey. At press time, P&G was readying its launch of Mr. Clean’s liquid, spray and Magic Eraser products with Febreze Lavender & Vanilla Comfort and Meadows & Rain. “The very positive consumer feedback on these two perfumes has confirmed our belief that consumers appreciate new, trend-driven scents in traditional cleaning products,” says Mr. Kinsey.

P&G also recently rolled out the Dawn Simple Pleasures line, the first dish care product to combine the dish liquid with an air freshener in one dual-compartment bottle.. Attached to the base of the bottle, the room-filling scent is activated by releasing a tab on the bottom. Dawn Simple Pleasures is available in three scents: Water Lily & Jasmine, Apple & Pear and Lemon & Tangerine.

Clean and Green
Amongst the most important trends for 2008 and beyond is the theme of eco/green, notes Ms. Nencheck of Takasago, as more products assuage consumer environmental concerns. “Fragrances will need to be created that sustain this positioning,” says Ms. Nencheck. “Fragrances must support the claims of eco/green while still delivering expected performance in use at a competitive price.”

“Our world continues to change and many consumer product companies that focus on personal care, home fragrance and cleaning products are trying to fill demand with ‘greener’ products,” says Alan S. Brown, vice president of essential oil supplier The Lebermuth Co., Inc. “This does not necessarily mean natural or certified organic; however, the trend has and continues to lead companies toward natural, sustainable and in some cases organic flavor and fragrance concepts.”

Mr. Brown tells Happi that a recently successful “green” development at Lebermuth has been mainstream natural and organic fragrances for personal care. Some examples include pomegranate, violet cedar wood, melons and citrus, vanilla, mint and raspberry lemonade fragrances.

One of the eco-friendly home care lines leading the green arena is Method of San Francisco, CA. “At Method, our fragrances are inspired by nature and we are continuously developing trend forward, innovative fragrances that support our strategy,” Suzanne McCormick, director of fragrance development at Method, tells Happi. “We want to offer newness to our consumers by combining a familiar ingredient with an unexpected twist—for example, our recent addition of a ginger yuzu scent to our hand wash collection.”

“Fragrances that have performed well are those that are unexpected in typical household products,” Ms. McCor- mick adds. “For example, ylang ylang in our daily shower spray, sweetwater in laundry detergent and French lavender in dish soap. Consumers are used to seeing typical scents like lemon or pine in household cleaning products so offering a fresh scent like grapefruit or cucumber excites a customer.”

Smaller, independent marketers are also catching the rush of today’s fresh scents. Debbie Ludington, owner of Greenland, NH’s Sweet Grass Farm who created the naturally derived Farmhouse Homecare collection, concurs that the biggest consumer draw is the quality of a fragrance.

“We find that customers love true-to-nature or nature duplicates compared to ‘fantasy’ fragrance combinations. Our customers want to experience the fragrances that they smell in nature.”

Sweet Grass Farm’s top home fragrance launch for 2007 was its Farmhouse lemon verbena home care category, available in a non-phosphate laundry powder, fabric softener, room spray, dish soap and furniture wax. “Our lemon verbena has been very well received. It is a very natural fragrance with a perfect combination of bright lemon balanced with woody, green verbena notes,” says Ms. Ludington. The Farmhouse Collection is also available in lavender and fresh white lilac varieties.

A Fragrant Future
On the whole, the Earth just may be the home care market’s biggest inspiration, according to Ms. Warus of Henkel. “With the green/organics trend gaining momentum, 2008 launches will be clean, nature-based fragrances such as green teas, blue waters, and fresh fruits and floral blends.” Ms. Warus also predicts that beyond 2008, globalization and experimentation trends will have a stronger influence, so more exotic, oriental fragrances will be available in product ranges.

“Watch for an increase in fragrances containing fennel—a deep, exotic spice,” says Ms. Harper of Arylessence. “This note can enhance more typical fragrance types and set them apart from the mundane.”

But assorted global scent selections aside, it all goes back to the localized market in ultimately deciding the next scent roster for a product line, according to Mr. Kinsey of P&G: “Given the number of choices consumers have today, it is critical to deliver scents that consumers love throughout the decision, purchase and in-home use process.”

as they say in france...

Ooh la la! (Do they actually say that in France? Hmm? I doubt it... but it sounds very Frenchy, no?) Look what got found! New squeaky green french lavender wet dryer sheets! method luster Karin mentioned she found them at Whole Foods today, and Colleen at method double verified it for me; and reader Sprockets found the pic on their site! Whew! Thanks for all the help, fellow advocates!

I think we should gladly take all credit for this one! What do you say? I'm sure all the complaining here on method lust (we can be known for some complaining from time to time on here, ya know! But hey, it's a good thing!) about how lacking their new squeaky green dryer sheet scents were didn't actually result in this new scent arriving. BUT it sure did pop up out of no where, so I say we take it all! Who's with me! Gloat, gloat! And while you gloat, go buy some new french lavender wet dryer sheets! (Right now found at Whole Foods (they must have signed some huge new deal with method or somethin'? Word!) and online at www.methodhome.com!

lowes squared

Do you see what I saw in this photo? Well, I didn't really see it in the photo, as I was sorta there, live and all; but still... method squeaky green laundry products! I about fell over! A friend of mine recently told me (and I didn't know! Is that possible?!) that Lowes Foods, a grocery store chain, carries method products. We have one in town, as well as one near work, but I don't usually shop there (why? Hmm, I'm not really sure.) So one evening I stopped by the one near work, and around the personal care corner what do I spy, but an entire wall of method products! I was so excited! And, I found some things that Target isn't even currently carrying. They not only had the new squeaky green laundry line (complete with sweet water and rice milk + mallow detergent; but all three (including free + clear) laundry wet dryer sheets!) They also carry the new leather wipes in the flat pack, as well as foaming hand wash in french lavender (two things Target currently hasn't carried in quite a while!) The leather wipes are actually found in the cleaning section, a few aisles down from the big wall o' method (which was, as I said earlier, found in the personal care aisle. Why? I don't really know...) They also had 3-in-1 crisp apple squeaky green kids wash! Which Target ALSO doesn't carry! Oh, so many things! So little time!

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AND, this isn't the only Lowes carrying a giant wall of method products! Lowe's (with the apostrophe,) the building supply store, has just put up a big end cap of method goodies! And even they're carrying the new squeaky green laundry line, as well as the leather wipes and foaming french lavender hand wash. (I haven't gotten a pic of their method wall, but if you happen to, send it my way and I'll post it here on method lust! Hey, I already had to sneak into Lowes Foods and snap a photo! What do you want from me, perfection? Well, ok, that would be great. But that'll NEVER happen, trust me...)

Looks like we're finally getting some more retail stores who have decided to carry a larger line of method products, like Target. (Though Target still has them beat, at the moment.) So next time you have a method lust, head on over to Lowes! Or Lowe's!

peppermint lust?

Wanna win yourself this peppermint vanilla aroma stick set (and a couple more great method goodies?) Stay tuned for method lust's next great contest! (and get your digital cameras ready! Hee hee!)

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PS - New polls are up! Give'em a go!

we'll looky here...

...And, just as I thought. It appears the method holiday line has landed (if you're lucky) at your local Goodwill (and possibly other, thrift stores.) I took a quick roam today (upon realizing Target pulled the remaining holiday method line from their shelves; and the bloq line ended up appearing at random Goodwill stores last summer; AND (whew, I know, just follow with me for a moment) Target products show up at Goodwill stores all the time now; it appears they have some "deal" going on. In fact, many of their Christmas prepackaged gifts (you know, beard trimmers, or stress balls, etc.) were also at the local Goodwill store I patroned today.)

SO, anyway, I only stumbled upon ONE method holiday item, a winter berry bamboo aroma ring for a mere .69 cents! Can you believe that? .69 cents! Crazy! Unfortunately, that was the only item I found (at three Goodwill stores!) But, it does show that the leftover method holiday line did make it there, as we'd guessed was going to happen. So, run to your local Goodwill, and see if you were lucky to get some sent to your nearest store! I'm heading to the one near work tomorrow to see if they have anything (since that happens to be the store that had the HUGE quantity of bloq body items! WHY I literally didn't buy up every single container of bloq green mint body wash, I STILL don't know. All that "let's be frugal and only get what we really need" crap. Man, I gotta get over that...)

Let me know if you find something!

mind the gap

Over on method's very own people against dirty blog, Danny Alexander has written (and Julie Kim has posted) a great little piece on a recent trip some method San Francisco-ians took!

"Hello from London! A few of us from the method San Francisco office have spent the last 4 days wandering the mean streets of London on a quest for inspiration. Gordie, Sally, Nate, Eric and I, Danny, have been keeping mighty busy over here, but have been having a blast nevertheless.

Our first objective here was to visit our UK office, which was a great opportunity for a method family mini-reunion. We talked business a bit, reviewing how wonderfully they've grown in the two years since method launched here and making sure we're all on the same page with our 2009 plans before taking turns hula-hooping. Although the office here is much smaller than our home base in San Francisco, it makes up for it in charm and quirk, and it's so exciting to see the method spirit alive and well half way across the world. It's nice to have such a welcoming home away from home.

While we had the whole gang together we spent yesterday morning walking the method mile (or High Street in Kensington, if you'll be in London any time soon), visiting a few method retailers and taking note of how the product looked on shelf. We may speak the same language (more or less), but the UK and the US are very different markets with very different needs. Talking to our UK workmates while walking the aisles gave us a better sense of how to design specifically for the UK market, so hopefully our future designs will be even better!..."

Head on over to people against dirty to read the rest of the post, and see more great pics!

brand new at big lots!

OH my! method luster Melane is on a roll! She just sent in a few photos of method products she's spotted about town (including the wet dryer sheets that have shown up at Whole Foods! Man, I wish I had one of those closer to home!) But check out this pic, method's original dish cubes! I know many of you differ on your lust for these (Karin, I'm talking to you... Ha ha!) but personally, I loved them! Oh, lavender! Lavender! That's what I want, method! Dish cubes in lavender. I drool over the new smarty dish! Really, I do... but no lavender. Sniff sniff. So, I about fell out of my chair when I saw this pic! And immediately ran to three different Big Lots, all... with no luck. I'm hoping these are just now making their way to Big Lots the country over, and I'll be seeing them soon, cause really, I need my lavender dish cube fix! Ahh! (Oh yeah, and them came in pink grapefruit and cucumber, too! Sorry, I was "one-scent" distracted there...)

...And here is a photo of the lavender (do you see a theme here?) all-surface spray! But it's a two pack, with a giant refill (in the same style as the shower spray refill bottle) all for only $7! Yowza! Again, awesome! And again, didn't find it at my local store. And again again, praying it makes it's way sooner rather than later. I think this all-surface spray refill idea is great! Though it looks like method only did this as a one time thing, for this special purchase package. These have been mentioned as having been spotted previously (is that even English?), by other method lusters, along with the two bottle pack and refill (the whole package in a similar style to this lavender set up here) of sweet water hand wash (which I DID find! Of course, since I have no personal interest in sweet water. What pain, what punishment, what suffering is this, to find the one item you don't want, and never find the zillion you do?! Oh, woe is me, woe is me!)

So be on the lookout for these new items popping up at your local Big Lots! And let me know if you see them! (And also let my English teacher know I need a brush up, ok? Whew...)

mom in the city with method

Mom In The City founder, Kimberly, recently wrote about their (I'm not sure which contributor wrote the article, as I can't find a byline, sorry!) lust for method products, in a post titled "Why I Heart method": (via methodtweet!)

"Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to work on a promotion with one of the top sellers among natural cleaners, but I declined. Here’s why: I’m totally committed to the method brand of natural cleaners. It’s not like I have an “exclusivity” contract with method (I’m not on their payroll at all!). It’s simply that they have won my loyalty to their brand.

Since I’ve begun to do consulting/speaking engagements/etc. with consumer companies in regards to marketing to moms/mom bloggers, I thought that I’d share a few points regarding how method accomplished such a feat. (This one’s a freebie!)

1. Method marketers are friendly, respectful and enthusiastic about their brand. To me, a brand is heavily defined by the people whom they choose to work for them. (I “heart” Justine, my main contact person!)

2. Method is innovative. They understand and appreciate the value of word-of-mouth. That is obvious by the manner in which they are constantly introducing new and interactive marketing programs (i.e. their method maven, method advocate and method market initiatives).

3. Method is responsive to moms overall. Before I ever worked with them as a blogger, they provided some of their all purpose spray for 30 moms at an offline “Earth-Friendly Family Playdate at Playgarden” event that I was hosting as a mom group leader. (In my opinion, sampling is one of the best ways to reach moms. If you get great products in the hands of moms, they’re going to go back and buy it afterwards AND share about it to their friends.)

4. They have a wonderful line of products. Without a great product, you really don’t have a leg to stand on irregardless of how fantastic your marketing people are!

5. They consistently connect. Once I began a relationship with method, they have touched bases periodically. I especially like how they effectively use holidays (such as Halloween and Christmas) by sending small cards along with new items that they’re promoting.

6. They treat me as an individual. Here are two examples. 1. Last May, method held a series of “detox” events in NYC that were hosted by various moms (I was one of them). When the method team realized that my 35th birthday was the week of my event, they made it extra special. In addition to having the fabulous Danny Seo teach me and a group of my friends how to do an amazing, eco-friendly craft and gifting all of the attendees with method product-filled gift bags, they also surprised me with a beautiful, yummy birthday cake, a bottle of champagne and much more! 2. They saw (from my blog) that I couldn’t use the dishwasher product that they had sent me (I don’t have a dishwasher). So, they sent me some ‘conventional’ dish soap that I could actually use! (Actually, they sent four, so I was able to share with several other moms in addition to writing about it on my blog.) And...

7. Method never asks me to write about the things that they send me. Even though I normally end up writing about the items anyway, it’s my choice. I write about them, because I like them, not because someone is asking about “a link”. I share the items with my offline friends as well, because I think that they will enjoy them.

Suffice it so say, many women (primarily moms) have emailed me or told me how much they also now love (and purchase) method products. Marketing mission accomplished! As such, it would be smart of marketers to imitate what method is doing right..."

ginger yuzu makes a comeback!

Big news for ginger yuzu (and wet dryer sheet) fans! Seems like the once relegated to hand wash scent is making a comeback at Whole Foods! And they are also beginning to carry a large line of method's laundry products! I received two, count'em, two emails tonight with the breaking news!

Reader Melane said: "We were at Whole Foods the other day and they had an odd collection of Method, including some old school stuff, but what was nice was that they had the wet dryer cloths. (And) they had a $1 coupon in their flyer specifically for Whole Foods that showed a new version of Method cleaner and dish detergent, but we couldn't seem to find that anywhere."

and luster Rhonda also let me know: "I just saw Ginger Yuzu dishwash and all purpose spray at Whole Foods. They also had the full line of laundry stuff- I have been looking for those dryer sheets forever!"

So cool! I'm not sure if these new ginger yuzu items will be available in Target stores, as well as other shops that carry method; or if this is a Whole Foods only item (which I'm sorta hoping it's not, simply because the closest Whole Foods to me is like, an hour and a half away! Darn you Earthfare and Fresh Market, why won't you carry method products?!? Darn you!) So be on the lookout for these new items, and Melane, let us know what other old school items you discovered! I'm really curious! This might be worth an hour and half trip to Whole Foods! I'll post more pics as soon as I receive them!

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Also, in more grocery store news, while roaming the aisles at my local Harris Teeter (and right before my truck decided to die on me, resulting in a tow job to the nearest Goodyear. Gonna be late to work tomorrow! Unless it snows a lot tonight! (It's supposed to snow here tonight, cross your fingers for me! We never see snow in these here parts!) I stumbled upon a great deal! Again, they have a variety of method products currently on sale; but the big one was, buy one spray cleaner (lavender or pink grapefruit) get one free! And the price was only $3.99 (a mere .70 cents more than Target! Harris Teeter is sort of an uppity grocery store, so higher prices are sorta expected. But I didn't think that was too bad!) Two bottles of lavender spray cleaner for $2.00 each, ya can't beat that deal! So go, pick up all these goodies, send me pics, lust some method, and have at it!

What do you think? Are you excited method has put ginger yuzu into dish wash and spray cleaner? Let us know! Personally, I think it's about time we saw a little shake-up in the spray cleaner/dish soap line. It's been the same four scents forever! Yay!

clean sweeps

UPDATE + Hey, does anyone know if Target has pulled the holiday candles, or did they finally hit 75% off and scream out the door? I stopped by a local Target today, and their remaining candles (and they had quit a few) were history. Two lonely spiced pear sprays just sat together, huddled for warmth (and the longing desire to be purchased! I so almost obliged them, but realized my method vault is sorta bursting at the moment with spiced pear lust! So I had to be good.) I've seen this in the past with the bloq line (unless I'm simply delirious) where they hit a certain price point, and before they all sold out, got pulled. I take it so that they'll end up in some discount store like Big Lots (or in bloq's case, Goodwill!) So I wonder if we'll be seeing method holiday candles at Goodwill, or somewhere similar, soon? Or did everyone else swipe them up at 75% off and I simply missed out? Last I saw late last week they were still $3.98 each. Let me know if you, well, know!

+ I keep failing to mention this, and just in case you've missed it, method home now has a search feature (in the upper right corner!) And that'll make hunting out things SO much easier on their site! Go, try it out, now! No, not later, now! Work? Who needs to do work? You, search, now! For fig! Why fig? Cause fig rocks! And it not only brings up products, but articles and people, too! Cause people are figs, too! No, wait, I mean figs are people, too! Uhm, well, that can't be right... People lust figs, too! There, that's right. Well, moreso.

take it to the max

...Office Max, that is! Just in case you happen to have one near you, I thought I'd let you know that the aroma sticks (that's all they have left at the one near me) are freakin' $4.80! That's $4.80 worth of cinnamon bark, hollyberry, and peppermint vanilla goodness! Originally $15.00!?! I was so excited! It's not REALLY 75% off, but close enough! So run on out and pick some up before they're all gone'oh!

+

OR, if you don't have an Office Max near you, never fear, you can soon try for your chance to win one in method lust's next CONTEST! Details coming real soon like!

say what?

Some of my most favorite new keyword searches on method lust!

+ burnt faux fur from the dryer
+ lust bears
+ virgin soap
and finally,
+ how to remove scent of vinyl from a vinyl bag

(If you did any of these keyword searches, shh, your secret's safe with me! Mainly cause, well, I don't know who did the searches. Thereby making the secret part pretty easy. Ha ha!)

method + microsoft

UPDATE I've just replaced the Youtube video with a much better quality vimeo version (supplied by method!) Enjoy!

I would have totally thought method would be an Apple house? I mean cool + hip + designy = Apple/Mac! (But yeah, I'm not about to start a Windows/Mac war here on method lust, ok? Those things can get hot and heated, people! Ha ha! And I work on a PC here at the office! But oh yeah, would like to beat it senselessly on a daily basis... but I digress!) Here is Microsoft's new ad campaign, premiering tonight on The Squawk Box on CNBC (news via methodtweet!) This one in particular features Eric Ryan, one of our favorite two method co-founders, talkin' soap (and other company type stuff!)

hey you, bag boy!

Wow! Hmm... seems all my baggy goodness with reusable totes might be turning the tide! Instead of getting odd stares and into the occasional fist fight with cashiers over their loose plastic bag ways (well, no actual fist fights. But I enjoy them in my head sometimes. "Take that, Cashier Girl! And that! Maybe next time you'll think twice before double plastic bagging that can of tuna!" And once the dust settles, so ends another episode of The Heroic Bag Boy!...) Whoa, where was I?

Oh, the tide is turning! In fact, within the past two weeks I've received two surprise comments. One from K-Mart, upon telling her I didn't need a bag, she said:

"Oh, yeah, you're the guy that never takes a plastic bag! Why can't I remember not to ask you? I see you all the time! It's great how you always use your tote bag." which might say something about how much I've been to Kmart lately (Gah! I know, but it's like, two feet from our offices, so...)

And today at Bath And Body Works, I say to the woman (and I'm seriously barely ever in this store!) that I don't need a bag, pull out my tote, and she says:

"Oh, you're the guy with the cool looking tote bag!"

I had to do a double take on that one, cause I swear I've met her maybe, twice before? Man, word travels fast! So remember next time, tote it! You might get a nice word or two from the cashier (of all things!) Hey, what was once "earthy crunchy" is now oh so hip! And really, don't we all like to (secretly) be on the cutting edge of hip? Oh yes, yes we do. Pick some up at baggubag.com (Cause I love me some Baggu! So seriously!)

consumed up?

Wow! Here is an amazing article on how we as American's need to stop being known as "the Consumers." I think it's high time, how about you? And it's not an easy task, shopping seems to have become our way of life, and many times I stop to think "Hmm, what do people do in other countries?" Seriously! I'm curious. There has got to me more to life than shopping. And trust me, I can be a shopaholic! I'm as bad as the rest... whew! Read on!

"It's Time To Drop The Consumer Label
Michelle Singletary, Washington Post

One of my New Year's resolutions is to stop referring to myself as a consumer.

The idea for the resolution actually came from reader Tom Krohn, who suggested that it's not just the country's spending habits that need to change for the better, but the language we use to describe who we are.

"We Americans are so used to being referred to as 'consumers' that we comfortably fall into that role and do so conspicuously," Krohn, a retired Navy submariner living in Arkansas, wrote to me. "Imagine an epitaph that read, 'Michelle Singletary -- A Wonderful Consumer.' Not very satisfying, is it?"

No, Tom, it's not how I want to live, or die.

We use the word consumer when referring to ourselves even when the topic isn't about consuming. But look at the word consume. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, consume means "to do away with completely; destroy, to spend wastefully; squander."

And yet we are no longer citizens but consumers. This recession has proved that things have to change, and still the message from many of our leaders continues to be that consumerism -- consumers -- will save the day. To be a consumer is equivalent to being a good American.

Consumerism has become a basic component of our American citizenship, contends Lizabeth Cohen in "A Consumers' Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America."

"By the end of the Depression decade, invoking 'the consumer' would become an acceptable way of promoting the public good, of defending the economic rights and needs of ordinary citizens," writes Cohen, a Harvard University professor.

We track closely the results of the Consumer Confidence Survey. Ever wonder why it isn't billed as the survey of confidence among the American people -- moms, dads, engineers, teachers, social workers, bus drivers, doctors, church-goers, etc.? It's not billed that way because we've come to gauge where we stand -- for good or bad -- by people's purchasing intentions.

Why is our confidence driven down by how much less we can spend?

Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of the nation's gross domestic product. That's bad because much of that spending was made possible by the overuse of credit -- other people's money. Our economy is a mess today because too many people -- individuals and corporate executives -- believed it was financially savvy to use other people's money. In many ways, the country has participated in a colossal Ponzi scheme. A scam we obviously couldn't sustain. We ran out of other people's money. That's what makes a Ponzi scheme fail. You can't get any more cash.

Since the Great Depression, we've embraced and celebrated our consumerism. We have mantras such as "I shop, therefore I am."

I once was part of this madness. In my early newspaper career I had a column called "Born to Shop." I defended my passion and the reason for the column by arguing I was bargain shopping and therefore saving myself and others money.

But you never save when you spend.

Never.

When you buy things on sale you are still spending money.

National holidays are celebrated by shopping. We have Veterans Day sales. That's how we honor our servicemen and women -- by shopping, by consuming more stuff.

And we are passing this legacy of consumerism on to our children. More children go shopping every week than read, go to church, participate in youth groups, play outdoors or spend time in household conversation, according to consumerism expert and Boston College professor Juliet B. Schor, author of "Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture."

"Although children have long participated in the consumer marketplace, until recently they were bit players, purchasers of cheap goods," Schor writes in her book. "That has changed. . . . Children's social worlds are increasingly constructed around consuming." Schor adds: "Contemporary American tweens and teens have emerged as the most brand-oriented, consumer-involved, and materialistic generation in history."

Our children are courted as consumers even before they have full-time employment.

"The kind of consuming people have been encouraged to do is undermining, not enhancing, our economic situation," Schor said in an interview. "And all this consumption has become financially and ecologically unsustainable. Doing more of the same makes those long-term problems worse, even if it props up some failing enterprises in the moment."

Rather than keeping things the same, why don't we again become producers?

"Households and the country need investment, not consumption," Schor said. "We need to invest in energy conservation, degraded ecosystems, a sustainable food system, education, community building, human connection and skills for everyday living."

Aren't you weary of being a consumer with all the accompanying debt it requires to keep up this occupation? If so, make 2009 the year you stop defining yourself as a consumer."

clean sweeps

A couple items of note I thought you'd all be interested in!

+ method (via their twitter, methodtweet) has said they've fixed the dish soap problem! What problem? Well...

"we've noted the clogging dish soap issue too & we think we solved it. the new formula is now available for the next time you buy."

Some people have said in the past the bottles tend to clog up, and it becomes more difficult to squeeze out the product. Sounds like it's an issue no more! Yay! I hope the holiday dish soap line fit into this "next time you buy", cause I've backstocked like four bottles of yummy spiced pear!

+ I'm sure you all realized this, but in mentioning the holiday line had gone on clearance at Target, gingerbread + spice was sort of included in that thought process. But just in case, gingerbread + spice is also on clearance! It hasn't hit the same markdown as the holiday items have, yet, but give it time! So run out and pick some up, before it's all gone again!

+ Luster Netta wants to let us know drugstore.com is having a sale on method products! It says "up to 40%!" and sorta while it is, they only have four method items at 40% off. Plus, I'm not really sure if their prices are that great, since AT 40% off their all-surface spray is STILL $3.59. (It's only $3.29 in Target, at regular price.) But you might be able to find some goodies there, such as wet dryer sheets! method's new "Holy Grail" item. As in you can never find them anymore! Fun shopping to you! Thanks Netta!

+ And lastly, method lust reader Melissa just let us in on a big secret (well, not so sure it's a secret, but I didn't know it!) Pertaining to the holiday line (and future method markdowns):

"The one near me has the holiday hand soaps marked down to $1.48, which will be the final markdown if they're following normal clearance procedure (.48 at the end usually indicates that the price won't go any lower)."

Who knew?! Well, probably everyone but me. But hey, now I know! So na-na-na-na-na! Thanks Melissa!

sparkle and shine

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd let you know I've finally come out of my Holiday sugar slumber (though I'm still in the "Gah?! Work? I have to go back to work?! Like, every week?! Gah!" slumber, but it'll work itself out, I'm sure.) and I've given method lust a much needed spit and shine. Well, method spray cleaner and shine, cause really, do you want someone spitting on your countertops and then going "Okey Dokey, all nice and clean!" Nah, I didn't think so. Same goes for your favorite method website as well, I bet. Just a few small touch ups and such! Look for new polls coming soon! Oh oh, and this great house tours thing I want to do (more info. soon!) OH oh oh, and uh, hot new method news, too! I mean, it's a whole new year, full of whole new method products! And I can't wait!

+

Speaking of poll questions, do you have any poll questions you'd lust seeing asked here! If so let me know either in the comments, or via email! Thanks!

now who was it that asked for more hsn?

You know you did! Oh yes you did! Now here, take it! And enjoy, with a nice glass of Dry lavender soda. Mmm. (Man, have you tried that stuff? It's delicious! Oh wait, but I'm sorta off topic here... no surprise there!)

Both videos come complete with hottie HSN guy! (Oh, and some nice woman, too. But really, between the hottie HSN guy, and the method products, I'm so not focusing on her. Apologies in the mail.)

advocate spotlight - rebecca vnuk

method lust advocate spotlight is going big, baby! It's been relegated to the sidebar for too long, and it's time has come! From now on spotlights will be posted in the same style as method profiles! (And I know that means you'll definitely want to send yours in, right? Right? Check below for all the details on how to do just that! Hey, you get a bigger picture now! And we all know you're a bit of a show off, so go on!)

Poor, poor Rebecca! She's a great reader here at method lust, and during my Holiday break in December I decided to clean up my email inbox (which was so bloated with spam it wasn't even funny! Aren't you curious how people actually make money sending you emails about Viagra? Yeah, I am too! I don't get it... seriously.) Anyway, after cleaning it all up, I discovered Rebecca had sent in an advocate spotlight like, in June of last year, and I never got around to posting it! I'm so sorry, Rebecca! So to make it up to you, you're the first official "new and improved" advocate spotlight! Enjoy!

1+ Your name: Rebecca Vnuk

2+ The first method product you purchased: I'm pretty sure it was the pink grapefruit spray, although it might have been the sweet water laundry detergent.

3+ Your favorite method product: Currently, the oMop. This summer I'm sure it will be the Method Baby stuff. - Expecting in August! (NOTE: Oh, man, I'm so behind with this! Congrats!)

4+ Your favorite method scent (current or past): Well, I really miss the Rosemary Mint floor cleaner, but I currently am in love with my Fresh Lychee aroma pill found recently at Big Lots!

5+ Why do you lust method? Mainly because I was tired of almost passing out from the fumes of other cleaners. Cleaners that work, smell fantastic, and come from a cool company. Who could ask for more?

6+ Favorite word that begins with the letter 'm'? Muppets! :)

+

How would you like to be the next method lust advocate spotlight? You can! It's easy!

clip n' save!

method lust reader Melane wanted to share with everyone that she's found a coupon for method products! A rarity, indeed! So head on over to Mambo Sprouts, and download you're very own. Thanks for the heads up, Melane! Honestly, I'm not sure where you can use these at? I'm taking it anywhere? I've never been to Mambo Sprouts before, so if you have any more info. Melane, please drop a comment and let us know! (I can't find anything pertaining to this on their site, but I'm also a bit lazy at the moment and haven't done too much of an indepth search. Hey, at least I admit it!)

shakin' up the method?

Here at method lust we love all things light, fluffy, and full of giggles! Like puppy dogs, and kittens, and butterflies! Well, except for the giggles part, cause if my cats started giggling, I'd be scared as crap, and running for the door, ok? Just sayin'. But while we usually stick with the light stuff here, every once in a while something big happens, and I think you'd want to know that, too! And I can't believe I totally missed this article (from October!), cause there's some big stuff happening in it! Check it out:

"Maker of Household Products Has Small Budget, but Growing Market Presence
by Jack Neff, Adage.com

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) – The tony, design-centric Method brand today named Droga5, New York, as its agency of record, even as the marketer continues to look for a new CEO.*

The independent creative boutique is the latest big-name agency to lay claim to the high-profile if small-budget assignment, which generally has had media spending under $1 million a year.

Back from hiatus
The account had been dormant since late last year after Method parted ways with Omnicom Group's TBWA/Chiat/Day, Playa Del Rey, Calif., a spokeswoman said in a statement. In late 2006, TBWA succeeded Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Miami, which was the first agency to handle the account.

"In the past year, we shifted away from large-scale advertising and focused on earned media programs developed by our in-house creative team, like our 'Detox Your City' program we conducted in key cities across the country," the spokeswoman said, explaining the prior departure of TBWA a year after it won the assignment.

It's not just agencies Method has parted with lately. Alastair Dorward, who had been CEO for more than seven years, left the San Francisco-based company in August. He followed Francesca Schuler, VP-brand, who left in May. Neither position has been filled yet, the Method spokeswoman said. The marketer said it is not seeking to fill the marketing role. Mr. Dorward and Ms. Schuler couldn't be reached for comment by deadline.

Campaign due in early '09
Method awarded Droga5 the creative assignment without a review to create a new marketing campaign to break early next year. "Droga5 is a dynamic agency that is known for taking traditional advertising initiatives and turning them upside down," Eric Ryan, chairman and co-founder of Method said in a statement. "We share the same passion and dedication to creating innovative and unique experiences for people, and we are thrilled to be partnering with such a talented team."

"Method has built an amazing brand in such a short period of time," Droga5 Creative Chairman David Droga said in the statement. "They're clearly destined for even further greatness."

As Method continues its CEO search, Method board member Dan Swander is acting as interim CEO. Mr. Swander previously started his own consulting firm, Swander Pace & Co., and served as chief operating officer of two food companies.

Market share increases
You'd expect this much personnel and agency turnover for a business facing tough times, but that doesn't appear to be the case for Method. According to Information Resources Inc. data, the brand had sales of more than $84 million across its far-flung household and personal-care categories and had gained share in almost all of them in the 52 weeks ended Sept. 7. That doesn't count Costco, another retailer where Method has had a growing presence in the past year.

Method did, however, apparently fall short in a bid to cash out on its success earlier this year. People familiar with the matter said the company was up for sale as its backers sought a payday similar to that of Burt's Bees, which went for a heady multiple of more than five times sales to Clorox Co. last year. The Method spokeswoman declined to comment on whether the company had been for sale, but said it's not now."

+

Alright, a couple notes of interest here, folks! One, looks like we'll be seeing the return of method to the advertising world once more! We haven't really seen too much in the way of advertising (besides word of mouth, and as the article says, the Detox Campaign they've been doing so wonderfully!) in quite a while, so I look forward to that! But uh, yeah, the CEO has left the building, as well as the VP of branding; and what's that talk of method at some point last year possibly having been up for sale?! A "no comment" to me definintely means it's true, but it does sound like they've changed their minds about the whole thing. (I'd hate for that to happen and they go the way of companies like Burts Bees, or Scharffen Berger Chocolate, Airborne (and the founder of Airborne so didn't like how her company was being taken care of, she bought it back last year!, etc.) Who really knows (well, they do, but we won't! Ha ha!) what went on where all of this is concerned, but let's hope method rocks it out in 2009 and keeps doing what they do best, great products beautifully designed, that work - from a company that really cares about what they're doing (and not just the bottom line!)

don't forget the glitter!

method goes chair dancing! (No, seriously!) - via methodtweet!

mo' holiday markdowns

UPDATE UPDATE + And... 50% off hand wash and spray cleaner has hit my Target! So check yours out as well! See, I believed Jamison all along! (Forgive me, Jamison, forgive me!) So thanks for the heads up! Unfortunately, I decided not to go to the one near work (with lots of stock!) but the Target near my home, which was rather cleaned out. BUT I did pick me'self up one bottle of spiced pear hand wash, and one spiced pear spray cleaner! I'll check the other one tomorrow, and see if any goodies have stuck it out, wanting to join my belusted method vault! So, what holiday method have you vaulted away this year, for later use? How much DID you stock up? Do tell!

+

UPDATE + And... no new price markdowns for my Target! But I'll keep checking! Perhaps Jamison was talking about the 50% off items? I'm waiting for hand wash and spray cleaner at 50%! Come on, come on!

+

Quick one here, folks! method lust reader Jamison made a request:

"Why don't you let everyone know that Target has taken a final cut on the method clearance items. They've been marked down even more. Glory! Go. Rush. Dash. Sprint. Stockpile."

And I'm more than obliged to do so! But there's sort of a catch here, that I don't believe I've mentioned (F.Y.I.) before.

Here's the Target catch - believe it or not, all Targets follow their own system of markdowns. (Which makes NO sense to me!) So, for example, I'll post a comment about an item being marked down at my local Target, and WHILE it'll probably be the same markdown at yours, it's not always the case. Good example, my three local (local being to my home) Targets have Holiday at 90% off, and have for the past two days or so! Went to the one near work last night, still 75%!?

So Target markdowns will hit all over the country at various (but similar; by a few days/perhaps a week or so) times. Just a heads up! And since I'm not sure what Jamison's markdown prices are (can you tell us?) I can't compare. But I'm still running out and checking!

The current markdown I've been seeing is 50% for candles, dish soap, potpourri balls, aroma rings, aroma sticks and candle trios; while it was still 15% for hand wash, and spray cleaner. I'll let you know what I find out today during lunch!

uhm, so where's method lust?

Uhm, and where's Nathan?! Never fear, I'm here, I'm here! I promise, I'm comin' back stronger than ever! I'm sorta still in my post Holiday/Christmas/Too Much Sugar/What Was She Thinking Buying Me This Sweater?!/How Long Does Eggnog Last If You Buy It In Bulk?/Are The Holidays Already Over?/Do I Have To Go Back To Work?! Doldrums Funk New Years Hangover! Whew! So while I recover from that (and the fact that for the next three days work is gonna be H-E-Double Hockey Sticks! Cause well, I gotta lotta to do! Gah! But, let's just be happy we have a job, ok? Ok! I am, really, I am.) So anyway...

I had such plans for the New Years weekend, and ole' method lust! Oh yes I did. But the time got away from me, and before you knew it, it was Monday, and poo! So hold tight, welcome back, here's some aspirin (cause come on, seriously, you know you need some too. Shh, I won't tell anyone!) "Hey, everyone! Have you heard?!" Joking.

Until I return later this week/weekend (please don't leave me, it'd be way too quiet around here.) I have a tongue twister for you:

Say Spiced Pear Spray five times fast. Go on, I dare ya! I've been doin' it, and trust me, it's reeaally hard to do! Go method! Go 2009! Go G.I. Joe! No no, wait, one of those is not like the other...