Ask:
Problem:
Insight:
Solution:
How do we refresh a brand that's universally perceived as "old"?
Younger generations (Gen Z & Millennial) think Yankee Candle is outdated - "Grandma's go-to".
When obsolesce is the death sentence,
nostalgia is the life line.
Make an old brand feel old in a new way with "Can You Smell a Memory?": A Social-first rebrand campaign
Grandma's Ol' Reliable
The average Yankee Candle purchaser is a 65-year-old woman who's mother was hip to the iconic candle brand back when founder, Mike Kittredge, made his own mother the very first Yankee Candle in 1969.
She owns several Yankee Candles in popular scents such as "Home Sweet Home", "Clean Cotton", and fan favorite, "Macintosh". There's one in each room. Although she has them burning 24/7, they seemingly never run out.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
Smell's like Grandma's house, doesn't it?
"Huge. Old. Kinda ugly."
These are not words to describe grandma, but rather to critique her favorite candle (which she doesn't appreciate, either).
The U.S. Candle Market is currently worth $4.86 billion, with an estimation that further expansion is coming in the next few years. While the candle business as a whole is on the rise, Yankee Candle is on a steady decline.
Offering over 600 unique scents as well as high-performing wicks that give your candle 150 hours of life, Yankee Candle knocks out the competition when it comes to product innovation. In a time when everyone and their mother owns a candle, Yankee Candle should be the premier choice.
So why aren't they?
50 surveys, 10 interviews, 1 focus-group
95% surveyed 18-35 years old
72% female / 28% male
80% care about candle appearance, and will not purchase an "ugly" candle
"The scents are great but I can't have that thing out in my house."
"My grandma bought me one like, 5 years ago. I still light it when I miss her."
"I just wish the design wasn't so old and ugly. It's a bummer."
When asked what emotion Yankee Candle invokes, 75% stated nostalgia
When brands age out,
nostalgia invites them back in
Current Brand Image:
Desired Brand Image:
Brand Image Challenge:
Strategic Message:
The target audience believes that Yankee Candle makes unattractive candles designed for the older generation, but they recognize that the candles smell better than other options and are of better quality.
Yankee Candle products are both long-lasting and aesthetic, making them the perfect candle for the new generation to showcase on social media and in real life.
The target audience isn’t aware of Yankee Candle's new line of sleek and simplistic candles, redesigned for visual appeal but packaged with the same scents they know and love for the best of both worlds.
Spark a social-first rebrand campaign that promotes Yankee Candle's new product line through a unique giveaway contest that will shift the narrative from "old" to "timeless".
Teasers to go live on Yankee Candle Meta + Twitter accounts from early September to early November
Details to go live on Yankee Candle Meta + Twitter accounts from November 1st to January 1st.
Participants 22-30 years old are suggested to post their #MyYankeeMemory on social for a chance to win their own personalized and freshly redesigned Yankee Candle.
Candlemakers in select cities will craft 15 candles that directly replicate the scents recalled in winners' posts. Candles will be hand-delivered to each winner every day from December 15th until New Year's Day. Winners will create UGC of themselves opening and lighting the candles.
Why It Works
Tap into nostalgia:
UGC from the target
audience themselves:
There's no place like
home for the holidays:
Nostalgia is one of the strongest emotions, and the most persuasive. With a brand as iconic as Yankee Candle, the only choice for a rebrand is to simply refresh the classic.
Younger generations trust each other over traditional advertising. The easiest way to convince Gen Z that something is "cool"? Show them other Gen Z doing it too.
The holidays are rough for young adults who miss their loved ones. Yankee Candle meets them where they are by granting them the gift of home and scent of familiarity.