Durable No Longer Means Dowdy for This Housewares Stalwart

Rubbermaid products have always been known for their function rather than form. Design, as typically defined by Rubbermaid, has been about durability, not aesthetics. But in its exhibits for retailers at last week’s International Housewares Show in Chicago, the company that prides itself on designing sturdy containers for the home was touting a new sense of design.

“People want their home and furnishings to be expressive, representing who they are as individuals,” noted Jula Hus, Rubbermaid’s household container expert. Rubbermaid introduced a line of “fashionable” wastebaskets in translucent colors with sleek, angled lines. For the kitchen, the company is emphasizing new hexagonal and barrel jars as stylish options for storing pastas and snacks. Even the most basic products--such as a line of fruit and flower sink mats and protectors--are getting a touch-up.

Trade-show buyers responded to the new look, said Keri Butler, company spokeswoman. A stylish line of bath products includes a bathmat with an undulating surface that produces a “massage effect” and a shower mat that has air-cushioned bubbles for more comfort.

An item that garnered the most response was a frosted plastic container that stores up to 20 rolls of wrapping paper along with scissors, ribbon, tape and whatever else is needed for gift wrapping, and can be stored almost anywhere. “Everybody had to have it,” she said.

At the same time, the company hasn’t forgotten its original mission--to design products that make life easier no matter what comes your way. To that end, Rubbermaid has launched a marketing effort that should resonate in earthquake-prone California. The campaign, “Survives the Unbelievable,” utilizes consumer testimonials to illustrate the durability of Rubbermaid’s heavy-duty containers, even in the ravages of flood, wind and fire.

In a series of video marketing messages that re-create the crises with howling-storm film clips, customers sing the praises of Rubbermaid rescues. In New Orleans, Paul Fresty recounts how his Rubbermaid shed floated during a devastating Mississippi River flood, saving valuable lawn equipment. In Oklahoma City, Enos and Beth Ables pick through the debris of their tornado-obliterated house to find their financial and insurance records intact in a Rubbermaid Roughneck container. The testimonials, which will be adapted to a consumer print and radio campaign, are straight from real life, said Butler. “We get thousands of unsolicited letters a year from customers. For the ones used in this promotion we . . . saw the products and heard a firsthand account of their experience.”

To keep the material coming, Rubbermaid is accepting testimonials on its Web site, https://www.rubbermaid.com.

Connie Koenenn can be reached by e-mail at connie.koenenn@latimes.com.