Per the above definition, ECO-ICONIC is not about all green products, it’s about those products that through their distinct appearance or stories actually show that they're green, or at least invoke some curiosity from onlookers, and thus help their owners/users attract recognition from their peers. How 'new' is this? Well, just take a look around: a surprisingly high number of green products and services, imagined and designed in a distant past when green was seen as a compromise, still try to hide their sustainable superiority by looking as much like 'normal', 'non-green' products as possible.

Now, ECO-ICONIC works both in the world of traditional status symbols (build a green brand/product, advertise the hell out of it and make it recognizable by the masses, which in turn makes it easy for buyers to get respect from strangers) and as part of the STATUS STORIES phenomenon, which involves providing buyers of little known/niche eco-brands with conversation starters and story details to get a status fix from their peers.

Let’s move on to the examples. Here’s how brands from around the world are already making the most of ECO-ICONIC, as well as a few examples of brands that aren't getting it (yet).

Note: we picked a few sectors that we think are setting the ECO-ICONIC tone right now. From real estate to automotive to utilities to detergents. Had we also included examples from airlines, hotels, furniture and so on, we would have ended up with a 120-page briefing. So please just add your own (industry-specific) examples if you'd like to turn this briefing into an in-house brainstorming session. And learn from cross-industry thinking. Remember the EXPECTATION ECONOMY? ;-)

Cleaning | In an ECO-ICONIC world, visibility counts, for big and small products alike. Which, in the case of cleaning products, means exposure will start the moment others check out your shopping basket or cart. Will that bottle of washing-up liquid scream 'green!'? Some examples:

New-Zealand-based Beauty Engineered Forever produces a range of environmentally-friendly household cleaning products from natural ingredients and essential oils that are not harmful to the environment and safe for consumers. The packaging has been designed to connect with the customer on a personal level with playful and cheeky pick-up lines, such as “I’ll do your dirty work” and “I’ll make it all white.” And yes, it’s different enough to be easily recognizable to visitors of one’s kitchen ;-)

Belgium-based Ecover makes a range of domestic and professional cleaning products like washing-up liquid, laundry detergents and bleach. As a matter of policy, all ingredients are from renewable sources and of the "highest possible biodegradability."

Daub & Bauble hand wash, hand lotion and dish detergent comes in three scents: Sorrento Lemon & Ginger, Mission Fig & Thyme and Tarocco Orange & Clove. Packaging features limited-edition patterns designed by Wink (of Target, Macy’s, American Eagle Outfitters and The Limited fame, among others). Daub & Bauble products use only natural ingredients and the bottles are fully recyclable. Prices: between USD 8 and 10. Tagline: “Aesthetics with Ethics.”

And no, we didn't forget about Method, which was started in 1999 and whose eco cleaning products line now extends to laundry, specialty surfaces, dish, hand & body wash and all-purpose cleaners. Method’s very recognizable design makes it the leader in ECO-ICONIC cleaning.

Not so iconic: Clorox Green Works is at least 99% natural and made from ingredients derived from coconuts and lemon oil, and the products are formulated to be biodegradable, non-allergenic, packaged in recyclabe bottles and not tested on animals. However, the design is far from different, and worse, the Clorox name will forever be associated with chlorine bleach.
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