To qualify for a "Fritz Henkel Award for Innovation”, candidates have to satisfy the same criteria that have consistently applied since 1982 – for not only must the innovation be clear-cut and convincing, it also has to generate success in the marketplace. The awards are an indication of how important innovation is for a progressive and globally active company. Albrecht Woeste, Chairman of the Supervisory Board and of the Shareholders' Committee at Henkel, presented the 2008 awards to the winning team from each of the company’s three business sectors. And in so doing he confidently asserted: “Given the constant stream of ground-breaking ideas that Henkel regularly converts into real market success, there can be little doubt that the company is well equipped to meet whatever challenges the future holds.”
 
The 2008 awards went to the following projects:

• Purex Natural Elements / Terra Activ: The Purex Natural Elements line was able to quickly establish itself as the number one in the US market among detergents based on natural raw materials. The innovative formulation combines excellent laundry power and performance with the best possible environmental compatibility. And Purex has also served as the conceptual precursor and ground-breaker for the launch of the new Henkel brand Terra Activ in five product categories.
• Drei Wetter Taft Power with the Cashmere Touch: The innovative Schwarzkopf Drei Wetter Taft line, offering “power with the cashmere touch” has been developed especially for dry, tired hair. It is the first product to reconcile two previously contradictory demands: Ultra-strong hold plus unique, cashmere-like suppleness imparted to the hair.
• Pattex “Instant Tack” Assembly Adhesives: The innovative “Instant Tack” assembly adhesives from Henkel are revolutionizing a wide range of application processes by offering a previously unheard-of level of instant adhesion, often rendering mechanical fixings such as screws or nails superfluous. The formulations have been further developed with pioneering gusto, so that now all Henkel's assembly adhesives – whether water-, solvent- or polymer-based – offer the same instant tack advantages.

The date of the official presentation of these awards coincides with “Henkel Innovation Day”, a day that serves to remind the company's 55,000 employees of how hugely important new product ideas are as a means securing a more successful future. This was also emphasized by Henkel CEO Kasper Rorsted in his laudatory address to the award winners: “I congratulate you on your success, I thank you for your commitment and I urge you to infect every Henkel colleague all over the world with your innovative spirit."

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA
Head of Corporate Communications
Ernst Primosch, Corporate Vice President