P&G Rekindles Candle Group

Cincinnati -- With a glance back at its beginnings and a look into the future, Procter & Gamble Co. launched a new air-freshening candle in July as an extension of its Febreze brand. P&G dressed up supermarkets, drugstores and club stores with dimensional floorstands and PDQs, saying the launch received record support for the brand.Candles were the product that gave the company its start in 1835, but the new one is firmly placed in the 21st century with a patented core for removing odors from the air while filling a room with five fresh scents: Meadows & Rain, Linen & Sky, Apple Spice & Delight, Spring & Renewal, and Vanilla & Refresh."We've had success with line extensions so far," says Kevin Wenzel, P&G's brand manager handling in-store marketing activities for in-home-care products like Dawn, Cascade, Mr. Clean, Swiffer and Febreze, which already offers plug-ins and aerosols.P&G shipped 150,000 total displays in early July. "That will be a record," Wenzel says. "We are looking at near-record levels of marketing support within the Febreze brand," he adds.The candles are in a clear glass container and packaged in a plastic vellum box that was placed on three different displays. A shipper, holding 40 candles, was the largest unit at 16 inches wide by 72 inches tall by 16 inches deep. PDQ counter displays, stacked two high, held 20 candles and measured 30 inches wide by 8 inches tall by 11 inches deep. A sidekick, or power wing, 15 inches wide by 4 inches deep by 21 inches tall, held 15 candles -- three across in five rows.All structures were designed by The Integer Group, Lakewood, CO, and used corrugated bases. P&G used litho-printing for logos and ad copy because the upscale, higher-quality printing process created colors that stood out in stores."The other thing we've used on the floorstand and PDQ that consumers respond well to is curved acetate -- a clear plastic that bows out and has printing on it. It also has a premium upscale look," Wenzel says.Copy on the displays depended on the amount of real estate each stand allowed. The header was the unifying element and was consistent with the product's other marketing materials.The Febreze icon is a stylistic window with a whiff of air blowing through it. A subtle change to draw attention to the new candles shows that whiff trailing up from the candle's flame.Two additional claims were on the floorstand: Odor elimination lasts up to 30 hours, and the candles contain an advanced odor-eliminating core. This claim was unique to the in-store marketing materials.Assembly requirements were minimal: Store employees put pieces on the base and added the header to the floorstand. All stands shipped full of product and were refillable.Besides homemakers and existing Febreze consumers, the company wanted to appeal to other candle users as well. P&G did pre-advertising in June on its website and through its partnership with nationally syndicated radio host, Delilah, whose program reaches 8 million listeners each week. She encouraged her listeners to use scented candles and music to create a relaxing environment.Retailers made shelving decisions, but P&G recommended that the candles be placed in the air-care aisle. The company also offered retailers in the U.S. and Canada a wide array of complementary P-O-P materials, including balloons, signage and shelf strips.

P&G Rekindles Candle Group

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