Ask
Transform Bath & Body Works from a brand that is simply seen to one that is truly felt by ages 18 to 24 (YAYAs).
Human Truth
For a lifestage facing constant burnout, scent serves as a powerful reset button. It's a sensory boundary that bridges the gap between a scattered mind and a grounded, authentic identity.
Strategy
Position Bath & Body Works as the partner for the Scent Sculptor. An intentional shift from selling fragrance to facilitating grounding rituals, giving people the sensory tools to sculpt their own Glow.
Role
Qualitative Strategist
Client
Bath & Body Works
Metrics
452M impressions
The Qualitative Deep Dive
I led the qualitative synthesis of 30 participants across 13 states to uncover the hidden habits of the YAYA consumer. We identified a critical cognitive dissonance: while the audience felt a nostalgic pull toward the brand, they viewed the current experience as a significant disconnect from their modern, holistic values.
Meet The Scent Sculptor
Fragrance is more than a scent; it’s a tool for feeling in command. We identified YAYAs using fragrance as a sensory reset to quiet the noise of burnout. Thus the Scent Sculptor, an ambitious and overstimulated persona like Charlie, who uses grounding rituals to settle his mind and rediscover his creative rhythm.
The Big Idea | Get Back Your Glow
"Get Back Your Glow" is a strategic response to the emotional fatigue identified in our research. We pivoted the brand from a "scent superstore" to a Sensory Cue, sparking connection by giving voice to the unspoken struggles of the 31 million YAYA consumers in the United States.
The Glow Journey
To move Scent Sculptors from burnout to bright, we engineered a three-phase rollout designed to guide the audience from initial awareness to deep, personal advocacy.
Pillar 1: Relight Your Mind (Awareness)
We met Scent Sculptors on CTV and social media, utilizing “dark-to-light” storytelling to address the reality of burnout. By pivoting the brand from nostalgia to active mentorship, we leveraged diverse influencer voices to spark the transition from burnout to bright.
Pillar 2: Relight Your Identity (Personalization)
Personalization is a ritual. We developed 16 Glow Identities to transform generic product recommendations into personal mirrors. Paired with Spotify Glowlists, we provided a "soundtrack for reclamation," directly addressing the truth that for YAYAs, personal care is a reflection of their unique vibe.
Pillar 3: Relight Your Life (Experiential)
The campaign culminated in “Glow-on-the-Go,” a traveling campus tour designed for emotional release. Through the “Glow Kit” handouts and a partnership with Mel Robbins, we transitioned Bath & Body Works from a digital concept into a tangible, human ritual.
The Final Impact: From Simply Seen to Truly Felt
Rooted in empathy and sensory reclamation, "Get Back Your Glow" bridged the gap between a legacy brand and the YAYA consumer, generating 452 million impressions for 31 million YAYAs nationwide. By addressing the deep emotional fatigue of a generation, we moved beyond metrics to build a truly meaningful relationship.
View our full, 24-page planbook presented to Bath & Body Works below and Get Back Your Glow!
In collaboration with:
Inez Goering (Qualitative Strategist) and Lainey Hogg (Qualitative Strategist)
Audrey Norquest (Account Manager), Keira Lasley (Quantitative Strategist), Kaiya Lynch (PR Account Manager-Strategy), Julia Boessen (Digital Strategist), Hanna Thompson (Media Planner), Remi Davis (Art Director), Meghan Aslin (Art Director), Casey Barwick (Video Producer), Kaleigh Dunahee (PR Account Manager-Content) and Lilly Skaggs (Copywriter)