Ecommerce presents an obstacle for Glade, because sampling fragrances is an immersive experience you just can’t get from a digital screen. We knew all kinds of ways to get people to sample our scents in the aisles of brick and mortar retailers, but sampling with online shoppers was out of our reach. We found a way to intercept the system and get our fragrances into their hands and their homes.  

An average of 2 million packages are sent by online retailers each day. What if we could turn these into an opportunity to sample fragrances in the US?

So, we took over a crucial part of the ecommerce cycle by seamlessly intercepting shoppers with a fragrance experience as they received their online orders – we created the first ever fragrance-filled packing pillow.

We transformed ubiquitous packing pillows, that typically protect online orders, into vessels that smuggle our new fragrance into people’s homes. That way, when people popped the pillows to recycle them, they got to sample and interact with our new fragrance.

Partnering with Walmart.com, we targeted online shoppers, and surprised them with an unexpected sampling experience – that doubled as a friction-free conversion, allowing shoppers to easily scan the barcode to purchase, perpetuating the ecommerce cycle.

We infused fragrance and some fun into an otherwise ordinary digital experience.

Glade’s biggest share of sales comes from Walmart, the biggest retailer in the United States. But the rise in online shopping is working against both brands. In fact, Walmart is in the biggest fight of its 69-year history - against Amazon which is sourcing a lot of their business - and they are feverishly re-designing the way they do business. So, we partnered with Walmart and found a way to make it possible for consumers to sample our fragrances when shopping online and to make Walmart delivery a bit more interesting and surprising. A win-win for both brands

A significant amount number of Walmart.com deliveries get shipped using packing air pillows, which Glade saw as an opportunity to deliver customers a sampling experience.

We re-designed the pillows with attractive branding reminiscent of our spring fragrance and filled them with fragrance instead of air.

As key shoppers and influencers received their usual Walmart.com order, they were surprised to find our fragrance-filled pillows - and when they popped them to recycle them, they sampled our beautiful scent. 

These unique, scented pillows featured a code that allowed shoppers to scan and purchase our Essentials Room Mist Mandarin & Mimosa product in a seamless and friction-free way, all in the convenience of their homes. 

With this analog innovation we brought a very emotional experience to an otherwise utilitarian ecommerce transaction - all without costing online shoppers any extra effort.

In the first 4 weeks, we garnered over 11 million impressions. Additionally, during the first week after our launch, Walmart ecommerce channels experienced an 83% lift in sales for Essentials Room Mist Mandarin & Mimosa.

Our initiative not only generated social media buzz, but also captured the attention and business interest of industry professionals and marketing leaders. Major shipping and logistic companies expressed an interest to partner and capitalize on our newly discovered sampling and advertising medium.