White Castle apparently has a home run with its new burger-scented candle promotion. The fragrance candle, which sells for $10 in White Castle stores and online, is a marketing tool for National Hamburger Month as well as a cause marketing effort supporting Austism Speaks.
The candle has earned plenty of buzz, not all of it positive, as well as a nod from advertising magazine Creativity. While plenty of bloggers — including Margaret Lyons of Entertainment Weekly's Pop Watch blog, are disgusted by the idea of an onion-and-beef scented candle, White Castle fans have embraced it. The company's House of Crave online store is sold out of the candles.
The candles are selling well in White Castle restaurants, too. After just a few days, many stores in the Louisville, Ky., market have sold at least half of their allotted 24 candles. A store in Jeffersonville, Ind., had only three candles left.
While the website says the candles are sold out "for now," Jamie Richardson, spokesman for White Castle, said the company plans to make the candles available again "before the holidays — the ultimate gift for Castle lovers everywhere."
Richardson said the company is pleased with the "overwhelming customer response" to the White Castle candle, allowing the company to support a good cause.
"Fans of White Castle from around the country have responded so enthusiastically that our online inventory sold out in record time," he said.
Burger King previously drew similar attention in late 2008 with its meat-scented spray, Burger King Flame. It sold online for $3.99 and was supported by a microsite featuring a scantily clad King but had no charitable tie-in.
Lori Walderich, chief creative officer for IdeaStudio, said the scented candle is "a stroke of promotional genius for White Castle," appealing to consumers on several levels.
As a novelty, consumers are likely to buy it and light it at least once just to find out what it smells like. As a nonprofit tie-in, a number of consumers are likely to buy it for the charitable aspect — helping them feel good about themselves as well as the brand.
"Usefulness is almost beside the point," she said. "It's something fun and unusual that people will remember and associate with the chain."
And the candle has a very high "water cooler" factor, with mainstream media, bloggers and Twitter users talking about it.
"People will talk and laugh about the concept with friends, family and coworkers," Walderich said. "And every time the candle gets a mention, the White Castle name will, too."
