Atlanta, GA, August 28, 2006--Stainmaster carpet, which revolutionized the industry with its stain resistance capability when it was introduced in 1986, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Today, the Stainmaster brand has reached approximately 90 percent consumer awareness.
"For 20 years, Stainmaster carpet has been available to consumers with superior stain-resistant flooring options that are both stylish and durable," said Steve Griffith, vice president, residential flooring for Invista. " Stainmaster carpet revolutionized the industry with its stain and soil protection technology that keeps soil and liquids from attaching to carpet fibers, and allows most food and beverage stains to be easily removed with cleaning. Today, the Stainmaster brand continues to lead in consumer brand recognition, style and fashion, product development and innovative advertising and marketing initiatives."
During its introduction, Stainmaster carpet was featured in a series of memorable television spots developed by BBDO Worldwide, which featured a red-headed toddler hurdling food onto his parents' Stainmaster carpet. The spots highlighted the innovative stain-resistant properties of Stainmaster carpet, and targeted homeowners, particularly women, who are the primary decision makers in purchasing carpet for their homes. The successful advertising campaign reached 1.7 billion gross impressions by the end of 1987.
Product innovations continue to improve the styling capabilities for Stainmaster carpet. Earlier this year, a new silk-like accent fiber was launched for use in Stainmaster carpet. It adds a subtle, silky luster to carpet. Carpet styles manufactured with this accent fiber mimic the look of natural fibers with the performance benefits of nylon. The new silk-like fiber was designed to complement the wool-like Tactesse nylon, introduced in 2001. Tactesse nylon makes carpet incredibly soft, while maintaining its durability. Stainmaster carpet is also available with ExtraBody fiber, a carpet fiber that provides more luxury and thickness than carpets of similar construction.
"At our 20th anniversary year, we have reached an important milestone, and we are committed to continuing to build on the trust and satisfaction consumers have in the Stainmaster brand through technological advances and superior product performance, style and function," said Griffith.
The target audience for Stainmaster carpet advertising is consumers seeking luxury upgrades. Recent TV advertising features attractive women on a fashion runway with the camera angle positioned from above, focusing on Stainmaster carpet. The print ads, a series of modern women featured against a background of vibrantly colored Stainmaster carpet, convey a strong fashion and style message while targeting the style-conscious consumer.
In 2005, the Stainmaster brand was extended by the launch of Stainmaster furniture, an answer to consumer demand for beautiful, high-quality, easy care products for home furnishings. The upholstered Stainmaster furniture meets the consumer need for busy consumers who are looking for stylish and durable furniture, but who don't want to sacrifice quality when making a buying decision. Stainmaster brand products are also available in other home furnishings such as area, accent, kitchen and bath rugs, resilient flooring and carpet cushion.
"The Stainmaster brand represents fashion, style and luxury with a futuristic twist because of the technology involved in manufacturing the carpet, furniture, flooring and rugs. These products were once in the easy-clean category in the mind of the consumer, but now they are perceived as high fashion for the home because of the styling options from the manufacturer," said Griffith.
