Yankee Candle Man Candles. Yeah, these are real. I won't call them spectacular, though.
I was on Facebook when I came across a link to this product posted by my friend Jon, who runs a consulting company called Rockhill Strategic.
It was for a product called "Man Candles." At first I thought it was a joke from the Onion or some other satirical web site.
Oh, no. It's a very real product from Yankee Candle. Granted, I haven't run out to a Bed Bath and Beyond to see if these scents are available for a real world sniff test. Maybe I have to go to Home Depot or Lowe's to inhale these (sniff) masculine scents. You know, for manly men.
Scents available for sale are Riding Mower (freshly cut grass); 2X4 (planed wood and sawdust); First Down (orange, patchouli(!) vetiver and leather); and Man Town [seriously?!] (spices, wood and musk).
Le sigh.
Look, never mind the fact that the obvious man scents of bbq and bacon have been neglected by Yankee Candle folks. I am willing to overlook that. Also, I am willing to not make a joke about Man Town and let that one slide on by.
I like Yankee Candles. Everywhere I've lived since my senior year of college I've owned a Yankee Candle or two. I think, if I go check in my garage, I still have a Yankee Candle tart burner I used to keep in one of my apartments. The quality of their products is excellent. I have no quibble there, either.
Why is this line even necessary?
According to Business Week online, it was Yankee Candle CEO Harlan Kent who dreamed up this limited edition line. Venessa Wong, the editor who wrote the Business Week article, points out that developing a men's candle line is "part scent engineering, part redesign, and a lot of marketing." (emphasis mine)
That's all well and good, I guess. I know marketing and advertising play a huge role in trying to influence what we purchase. I won't deny that (and not just because I have friends and former classmates in the field).
However, I don't care how much marketing you do; it is not enough to get me interested in a candle called Man Town that is redolent of musk and spices. Kent describes it as being reminiscent of "the modern day man cave, for men who wear deoderant."
Oh, well, then.
Pardon me for finding the whole thing absurd. It's a candle. When I set out to buy a Yankee Candle, or when I get one as a gift, I think it is safe to say that there is a certain expectation. Obviously, since I was fine with the basic range of scents being offered by the company before they released these cheap ploys/panders, I am not the target market being sought after here.
It is safe to say, though, that if you're looking for a Father's Day gift for me, don't get me one of these. I don't need a Man Town in a jar. Thanks. I'll pass.
It was for a product called "Man Candles." At first I thought it was a joke from the Onion or some other satirical web site.
Oh, no. It's a very real product from Yankee Candle. Granted, I haven't run out to a Bed Bath and Beyond to see if these scents are available for a real world sniff test. Maybe I have to go to Home Depot or Lowe's to inhale these (sniff) masculine scents. You know, for manly men.
Scents available for sale are Riding Mower (freshly cut grass); 2X4 (planed wood and sawdust); First Down (orange, patchouli(!) vetiver and leather); and Man Town [seriously?!] (spices, wood and musk).
Le sigh.
Look, never mind the fact that the obvious man scents of bbq and bacon have been neglected by Yankee Candle folks. I am willing to overlook that. Also, I am willing to not make a joke about Man Town and let that one slide on by.
I like Yankee Candles. Everywhere I've lived since my senior year of college I've owned a Yankee Candle or two. I think, if I go check in my garage, I still have a Yankee Candle tart burner I used to keep in one of my apartments. The quality of their products is excellent. I have no quibble there, either.
Why is this line even necessary?
According to Business Week online, it was Yankee Candle CEO Harlan Kent who dreamed up this limited edition line. Venessa Wong, the editor who wrote the Business Week article, points out that developing a men's candle line is "part scent engineering, part redesign, and a lot of marketing." (emphasis mine)
That's all well and good, I guess. I know marketing and advertising play a huge role in trying to influence what we purchase. I won't deny that (and not just because I have friends and former classmates in the field).
However, I don't care how much marketing you do; it is not enough to get me interested in a candle called Man Town that is redolent of musk and spices. Kent describes it as being reminiscent of "the modern day man cave, for men who wear deoderant."
Oh, well, then.
Pardon me for finding the whole thing absurd. It's a candle. When I set out to buy a Yankee Candle, or when I get one as a gift, I think it is safe to say that there is a certain expectation. Obviously, since I was fine with the basic range of scents being offered by the company before they released these cheap ploys/panders, I am not the target market being sought after here.
It is safe to say, though, that if you're looking for a Father's Day gift for me, don't get me one of these. I don't need a Man Town in a jar. Thanks. I'll pass.
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