I wanted to write a post about a topic which seems to be a constant point of debate between fandles, the topic of labels.
I wrote a post on the new branding that Yankee Candle now has in the US a good few weeks back (you can read it
HERE) as the new labels seemed to divide opinion and many UK fandles were concerned the labels would be making their way overseas to our shores. Now the debate has shifted to all the different labels that QVC have recently brought to air.
This post is my own opinion on the matter as a Yankee collector. I understand that everyone will have strong views on this touchy subject. You'll see no fancy pictures in this post, no fantasised descriptions and no right or wrong. Just a basic breakdown of what I know and what I think of the varying styles.
It must be tricky for QVC now that the USA have a totally different style label to their classic collection. Gone (perhaps) are the days of importing USA fragrances for customers to get their hands on as 'rare treasure' candles for their collection. Imported USA scents with Deerfield labels were always highly coveted treasures in the UK (a Deerfield label means the candle was produced in the original home of Yankee, Deerfield Massachusetts, the sticker underneath will have USA details instead of Bristol UK). But will QVC continue with imports and bring the new labels to our screens? This would potentially alienate avid collectors who've been quite vocal on the forums but it could bring a whole new (and younger) customer base who like the smaller and more modern design. Importing has added difficulties now that the Pound has fallen against the Dollar, imports are much more expensive. So I imagine the QVC buying team have a lot to consider at the moment and it must take a seriously long time to bring new lines to screen.
For the 12th Anniversary shows, QVC debuted some labels which were alien to us UK fandles. These included the simplistic 'Portrait' labels, a selection of labels which now seems to be widely referred to as the 'Street Party' labels and also the 'Botanical' style labels. I was thrilled to bits when I saw these as they would be an amazing addition to my collection. But some fandles snubbed them on the basis that they wouldn't display well alongside the classic jars.
Essentially these designs are all exclusive to USA Yankee Candle outlets.
"Not outlets!" I hear you cry... "
Doesn't that mean sub-quality?" Well, according to brand ambassadors Steven and Rosa, the answer is simple: No. What it does mean though is you are getting fragrances that are not available in the UK and paying less than you would for a typical large jar or set. What if your collection consists of only the "classic" Yankee labels, would you consider adding these?
But is the quality really the same? So far I have burnt two candles out of the many sets that I bought. One is Cherry, which I'm burning today and it's giving a fantastic throw and yummy fragrance. I love it, sweet, sweet cherry with a hint of almond. I'd also add that it's pooling really nicely which is encouraging because fandles will often point out that classic label Black Cherry can be prone to tunnelling. The other one I've tried is Pineapple, it's so true to life, throws strongly, filling my bedroom.
Fruit scents seem to have some of the most powerful throws when it comes to fragrance families. Fresh ones tend to be more subtle so it'll be interesting to see how Bright Summer Sky and Ocean Treasure perform.
Looking at the wax in all of the portrait jars you can clearly see the oils running through the entire candle and the bubbles at the top - that's usually an indicator that the scent will be strong.
From a price point of view, the fact that these are outlet ranges means that the casual QVC customer, who may never have bought a Yankee Candle in their life, is going to be more likely to splash out on these sets. With P&P you will typically pay just £35 for a set of three portrait labels versus a classic label trio at £56. Lets face it Yankee Candles are not cheap, you're paying for quality and collecting them is a pricey hobby. So wearing my collector hat I can get my hands on NEW and exclusive fragrances, and pay less for the pleasure.
Each year Halloween brings with it a new collection of Yankee Candles with fun and quirky labels, completely unmatched to the usual range. Fandles (including me) chomp at the bit to get their hands on them. At Christmas Santa brings even more new labels that are must-have collection pieces. Factor in World Journeys, Swirls, Barbershop, Scentiments, the Coconut Collection and Home Inspirations (formerly Simply Home) ranges and you do wonder why there's such criticism of the portrait collection in particular. You get the same burn time as a large jar, the same throw, the same quality, new scents and bargain prices - and the ever-popular easy-payment option.
As I write this blog there are 15 USA sets on QVC's website all having non-classic labels. Am I going to be buying every set that comes to QVC? No, I really can't afford to... Do I like them all? Mostly yes... I will buy the sets that really grab me, maybe even two sets (like I did with the recent OTO that had Banana Nut in it). Some I've been less keen on, the Apple Cobbler and Brilliant Autumn labels for example.
The likelihood is that these labels will continue to make appearances. Remember, Yankee Candle only release 16 core fragrances a year (4 per quarter) with a handful of special appearances and some seasonal treats. All of these are available from multiple retailers so if QVC didn't bring anything else to our screens we'd soon get bored of seeing the same readily available fragrances. Viewers are constantly tweeting and emailing to demand new scents, USA imports, special appearances and more - it seems that they're trying to cater to this.
Yankee Candle have changed their labels more than once throughout their lifespan and will continue to do so - all companies have to constantly evolve their product and brand. There's the age old saying 'you can't please everyone' and it's true, you really can't.
I would rather see these exclusive sets on QVC than sets of 16 votives, but that's just me. I like variety, I like bargains and having more choice is fine by me. Why not give a portrait jar a try to burn, if not to collect. It's a more affordable way to fill your home with a delicious smell, surely that's a good thing?
What do you think to all the different labels available on QVC? Let me know in the comments below.
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Disclaimer: I do not work for Yankee Candle or QVC. I am a Yankee Fandle who enjoys sharing my thoughts on each fragrance and also photos of my collection that I have taken myself. These opinions are my own.
Now, I must admit that a "masculine lavender" fragrance doesn't really sound that appealing to me, so I don't blame you if you're reading this and feeling a little sceptical. But, I ran a poll on twitter asking fandles to vote for their favourite from the Harvest Time collection and Autumn Night was the clear winner with 40% of the vote!
If you read the reviews for this fragrance on yankeecandle.co.uk you'll see that three of them say that the throw of this scent is poor. As I write this review I'm melting a Wax Melt (as I have done with all my Harvest Time reviews) in my living room, sat next to an open window. It's throwing really well and I can smell it around the entire house. Sometimes I think that certain fragrances work better in a Wax Melt format, and maybe this is one of them.
