Millennials understand GIFs, but not fabric softener

Branding for millennials is no easy task — you have to think carefully about what products they like, what they don’t like, and what they simply don’t understand.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal today, consumer products giant Procter and Gamble is launching a new ad campaign aimed at getting millennials to use fabric softener. Downy, the company’s most recognizable softener brand, saw a 26 percent decline in sales over the last eight years.

While some executives in the fabric conditioning business attribute the slump to a growing sense of eco-consciousness — a desire to buy less chemical products — Procter and Gamble says it’s also because millennials don’t know what the product is used for.

Me neither, come to think of it.

But then there’s NASA, who clearly have a far better grasp on what newer generations need. In a press release, the space agency said it will break into the social media sphere and start sharing some of its most memorable moments via Giphy and a Pinterest account. 

Also, I’m told that it’s pronounced “Jif”.