2025 New York Festivals AME Awards
Products & Services: Household Products & Services
Silver
Glade Dupe Detector
Revolutionizing candle shopping by uncovering luxury scents at affordable prices
- Office
- New York
- Client
- SC Johnson
Glade candles transformed how shoppers perceive value by tapping into the viral "dupe culture." With an AI-powered tool and savvy influencer marketing, Glade proved that luxury doesn't have to come with a hefty price tag.
The Air Care Candles category was in decline, with sales dropping 10.3% year-over-year and younger shoppers favoring higher-priced Decor Candles. Glade needed to attract Gen Z and Millennial buyers to secure its position on store shelves and reverse the downward trend.
Gen Z's obsession with "dupes"—affordable alternatives to luxury items—offered a unique opportunity for Glade to reposition its candles as high-quality, budget-friendly alternatives to overpriced luxury brands.
Introduce the "Glade Dupe Detector," an AI-powered mobile web experience that matched Glade candles to their luxury counterparts based on fragrance profiles. This innovative tool turned every competitor into a touchpoint for discovering Glade's hidden value.
- Buyer Growth: Increased overall buyers by +30%, including a +35% surge among Millennials and Gen Z.
- Sales Growth: Achieved +2% year-over-year sales growth after years of decline, with a +12% boost from younger shoppers.
- Category Impact: Contributed to a +10% increase in overall aisle sales during the campaign period.
- Engagement: Generated 7.6 million impressions through paid media, with TikTok influencer content garnering 171.8 million views.
- Conversion Success: Achieved a 0.41% conversion rate at Target, exceeding the benchmark by 37%.
- Web Traffic: Attracted 354,000 visitors to the Dupe Detector microsite, driving awareness and action.
