We care about our planet as much as we care about our cars. Therefore each frshslab is biodegradable and sustainable.

Frshslabs is a sustainable air freshener brand based in The Netherlands and Charlotte, NC. Established in 2019 by myself and Julian, a good friend of mine living in the USA.

At Frshslabs we're tired of single use air fresheners that don't match the style of your car. Each frshslab is custom made using quality wood and re-scentable, so you can stay forever frsh just the way you like!

I've been in charge of the EU market and scaled the Frshslabs from a small hobby to established car brand in Europe. Tackling all aspects of building a brand; design, marketing, photography, videography, supply chain, order fulfillment, customers support, and all challenges that need solving in between.

A hobby that got out of hand

Ever since my childhood, I've been fascinated by car modifications, inspired by the game Need for Speed and the movie Fast and Furious. When I finally saved enough money, I started working on cars myself. I've done everything from changing wheels to tinting the windows to tuning the engine. However, there was one thing missing on the market: a high-quality, long-lasting, sustainable air freshener.

All air fresheners are made of “cheap” paper

Most car air fresheners are made of paper. They typically have a thickness of about 1.8-2mm, which can make them feel cheap. This is a cost-saving measure that simplifies manufacturing.

None of the designs match the style of high-quality tuner cars

When investing thousands in a car, a 2 euro paper air freshener won't cut it. However, finding a high-quality air freshener that matches the aesthetic of a tuner car was impossible.

Most air fresheners lose their scent within a few days

Air fresheners, such as Little Trees, only last a few days due to their limited absorption area and the use of chemical scents.

Brands like Rituals don't fit the tuner scene

Rituals, a luxury body product company, also offers a wooden car air freshener. However, these aren't appealing to the tuner community, who prefer bold accessories that fit their cars.

Instead of paper I wanted to use wood for the air freshener. Laminated woods didn't absorb oil effectively for long-lasting results though. So after testing solid woods, I found that some were too dense and did not absorb oil, some darkened excessively, compromising the design, and others had too many knots or lines, preventing a clean result.

The winners were three different types of wood: Cedar (Light), Cherry (Medium), and Walnut (Dark). Besides looking good, these woods come from local sawmills and are primarily cut-off's that would otherwise get thrown out. This way we reduce waste and the impact on our planets resources.

Finding the right oil involved testing various types, including essential oils, perfumes, and body oils. Our best-performing oil remains a secret! However, I can disclose that our oils are paraben-free and vegan-friendly. They consist of a sophisticated blend of natural, nature-identical, and aromatic materials, and they are not tested on animals or contain any animal derivatives.

After multiple tests, I am comfortable to say that a frshslab typically holds it's scent 8 to 10 weeks, depending on; how sensitive you are to the fragrances, the ambient temperature, if you often drive with the windows down, or the size of your car. Some people even said they lasted for over half a year!

To gauge interest, and see if others liked our product as much as we did. I attended the biggest car event in Europe, the Volkswagen-event GTI-Treffen in Wörthersee 2019, with 20 different designs in a plastic bag. I handed these out in exchange for an image with their car to gauge people's reactions and generate content for the socials .

We realised that many of our fellow car enthusiasts shared the same thoughts about the cheap, non-reusable air fresheners and were very excited about the concept. And so, Frshslabs was born.

“More than an air freshener; it's a frshslab!”

• frsh taken from the word “fresh” adverb; newly made or obtained.
• “slabs” noun, a somewhat thick piece of stone, wood, or other solid material. Also used in the car scene in the mid-2000s alongside the rise of Houston hip-hop, “slab” stands for “slow, loud, and banging.” The defining feature of a slab are the wheels.

The Frshslabs logo; fresh, bold, easily recognisable, with a premium feel. The Product Sans typeface is recognisable and works well for non-digital applications.

From here we needed the packaging. Details are ever changing, but the overall layout has remained the same over the years. It contains all the required information, while providing a premium feel, and being cost effective for print production.

Every Frshslab includes a cheeky flyer that directs buyers to the How to Refill page. This provides correct information on how to refill the product. The flyer is a bit bold and cheeky, as we all know that no one likes boring information!

www.frshslabs.com went live in May 2020. At that time, the focus was on "keeping it simple", with car enthusiasts able to purchase only custom designs. Four years later, the website now has over 300 ready-to-ship designs and also offers customers the option to have their logo, car, dog, or any custom design created.

Last year, the website got a comprehensive redesign with a greater focus on conversion. This incorporated a sticky Call to Action (CTA) on mobile, better appealing Unique Selling Propositions (USPs), selection buttons in place of drop-downs, reduced text above the fold, and a FAQ section under the fold to inform and engage visitors. Additionally, we've introduced a service that allows buyers to subscribe for refill bottles. This service automatically sends a refill every few months, eliminating the need for the user to remember. And made the reviews from previous buyers more visible to enhance trustworthiness.

This led to a 2.43% increase in the conversion rate, a 24% decrease in the bounce rate, and a 3.46% increase in add-to-cart actions compared to the previous website. I hope that the upcoming new feature will further improve this. ⬇

Frshslabs are premium solid wooden air fresheners. They're re-scentable and holds it's scent for 8 to 10 weeks, improve air quality without using chemicals, are made locally, and fit the style of your car.

Frshslabs, last a Lifetime

Stay forever frsh and enjoy your favorite scent over and over. Or change your scent up and try something different.

Create frsh’er Air

Frsh'er air compared to typical paper air fresheners, which frequently contain harmful phthalates and chemicals.

Are high end

Locally made with high end materials. Responsibly sourced and designed to ensure the best quality.

We care about our planet as much as we do our cars, which is why all Frshslabs are designed to last a lifetime. So it's our goal to give back more than we take. Therefore we partnered with OneTreePlanted to help us plant a tree for every Frshslab sold.

When purchasing a frshslab you don't just buy an air freshener. You're becoming part of the Frshslabs family, a community of respected car enthusiasts. Whether your car is low or high, German or Japanese, fast or slow, it doesn't matter. We all share the same passion.

We've got you covered! The Puck goes perfectly in a cup holder, under your seat, or anywhere really; freshen up a bathroom, closet, or set it by your workstation.

Frshslabs stands out because of its custom designs, especially the air fresheners featuring your own car, hand-drawn to ensure a consistent and premium style. Following this success, we now also offer custom phone cases and posters that can be purchased together or separately. So what are you waiting for? Have you always wanted a mini version of your ride, dog, kitten, goldfish, or your insta name as an air freshener? We got you!

A major challenge we faced was getting our name out there. In a world where everyone is bombarded with content 24/7 it's not easy to stand out. Bottom line, to get website traffic - we built up our social media for organic reach and taught ourselves to run paid ads.

Every month we learn, gather data, improve our approach, and look at the cunning hypes and trends! We're pleased to say that we've achieved an average Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) of 4.57.

I am passionate in front of and behind the lens, and we can create 90% of the content ourselves. Besides that, our premium vision for content helps elevate brand presence and impression.

Working with brands that we love and support for our own car builds is always a huge pleasure and of course a big part of our growth strategy. We worked with influencers and the largest brands in the car scene. At times it still doesn't feel real to have these names on our website!