Sneaker Candle

A limited-edition candle that smells like box-fresh sneakers, evoking the thrill of getting authentic kicks from eBay.

Background

eBay set out to craft an experience for the loyal sneaker community while raising awareness for its Authenticity Guarantee (AG) service. How? Capture the feeling of unboxing a fresh pair of shoes and borrow the mechanics of a traditional sneaker drop. eBay’s approach tapped into sneaker love with a limited-run product drop: a scented candle with a not-so-common aroma.

What we did

On Valentine’s Day, eBay released Authentique – a scented candle with the intoxicating fragrance of new sneakers. Notes of warm pebbled leather, EVA foam, and a touch of cotton blossom remind people of the olfactory joy associated with buying and unboxing a pair of authentic sneakers from eBay. The candle also introduced people to eBay’s AG service which verifies sneakers bought on the platform are legit before they get to you. Partnering with sneakerhead influencers ahead of the launch helped drive excitement, and the candle sold out in under 2 minutes.

Social Output

“eBay has announced the launch of its new scented candle, Authentique. With scents of warm pebbled leather, glue, EVA foam, and an accenting touch of cotton blossom, Authentique is designed to smell just like a brand new pair of box-fresh sneakers.”

Hypebeast

The Reaction

38M+

total impressions, which included earned stories in Hypebeast, Refinery29, and Yahoo! Lifestyle

157K+

total engagements across social platforms which surpassed benchmarks for engagement rate

200

candles sold in under 2 minutes with $5,000 of proceeds going to Soles4Souls

“Luckily, eBay is providing us with the next best thing. The virtual marketplace just announced its February 14 launch of Authentique: a scented candle that mixes ‘notes of warm pebbled leather, hints of glue with EVA foam, and accents of cotton blossom,’ explained the brand in an email. (Just let that sink in.)”

Refinery29

"To celebrate, the platform is launching a limited edition candle that smells like — get this — a new sneaker, fresh out of the box. Named "Authentique," the candle is inspired by the experience of unboxing and smelling new, authentic kicks — we wonder if it’ll come with the same satisfaction.”