The modern alchemy giveaway turned one working week into five chances to win, with a new prize from the Historical Collection announced on Facebook each day.
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Featuring the Modern Alchemy Historical Collection by D. L. & Co.
Alchemy was the medieval pursuit to transform un-precious metals into gold through a combination of magic and science. Utilizing the rarest of extracts, essences, and absolutes we are able to create fragrances that conjure time and place, transforming environments from the mundane to the sublime.
We’re Having a Modern Alchemy Giving-a-Day (M-F) on Facebook this week!
- Join us on Facebook and check our page each day to see how you can win something from the Modern Alchelmy Historical Collection. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we’ll giveaway a Modern Alchemy candle ($45 value). On Friday, We’ll give away the History Lesson #2 Gift Set and an Owl snuffer. Friday’s prize pack is valued at over $100.
We’ll ship the prize package to any continental US address. Good luck!
How the modern alchemy giveaway worked
We ran a giveaway a day, Monday through Friday, on our Facebook page. Each day’s post told you how to win. On Monday through Thursday the prize was a Modern Alchemy candle valued at $45.
Friday’s prize was bigger, the History Lesson #2 gift set plus an owl snuffer, with a value of over $100. We shipped prizes to any continental US address.
The Facebook format made it easy to join. You only had to visit the page each day and read the post, and we updated the announcements as we went. It felt like an advent calendar in the middle of the year.
There was no purchase needed to follow the daily posts, and the instructions were short each morning. If you missed a day, the next day gave you a fresh chance to win.
The modern alchemy giveaway ran for one week only.
The idea behind Modern Alchemy
The Modern Alchemy Historical Collection borrows from the medieval dream of turning common metals into gold. The brand says rare extracts, essences and absolutes let it create fragrances that conjure a time and place.
The Wikipedia page on history of alchemy is a fun read if you want the real history behind the name.
I like that the story is a little theatrical. It makes the candle feel like an object from a cabinet of curiosities, not a shelf filler.
Alchemy also fits candles better than you might think. A flame turns solid wax into liquid and then into scent, which is its own small transformation.
Whatever you think of the theatrics, a story gives you something to talk about when you light the candle for friends. That is half of what a good candle is for.
The modern alchemy giveaway suited the brand, with its theatrical story.
Part of the charm of the modern alchemy giveaway was the owl snuffer.
What a snuffer does
The owl snuffer in Friday’s prize deserves a word. A snuffer is a small cup on a handle that you lower over the flame to put it out. It cuts off the air without blowing, so you avoid smoke and flying hot wax.
Snuffers look lovely, and they are kinder to the wick. If you do not own one, a modern alchemy giveaway like this is a nice excuse to get one.
A snuffer also helps with the smell after a candle goes out. Blowing out a candle can send a thin stream of smoke through the room, while a snuffer keeps it contained. That means the fragrance, not the smoke, lingers.
Old fashioned tools like this one add ritual to a candle. You light it, you enjoy it, you put it out properly, and the whole thing feels a little more special.
Keep the snuffer by the candle so you always know where it is. A tool you cannot find is a tool you never use.
A snuffer is the kind of extra that made the modern alchemy giveaway feel special.
Why a giveaway a day works, and where to go next
Daily prizes give people a reason to check in. A single big giveaway ends in one day, but a modern alchemy giveaway spread across a week gives shoppers five reasons to look. It also let us show off several candles instead of one.
For readers, the best way to enter these is to follow the shop page, turn on notifications and read each post for the rules. Then forget about it and enjoy the rest of your day.
If the Historical Collection catches your eye, begin with Modern Alchemy Historical Collection for the overview. Modern Alchemy Tincture of Winchester is a closer look at a single candle from the range.
As always, check the maker’s page for exact scent notes. I do not want to guess at them here.
Prizes of $45 each, as listed in 2011, are a fine reason to follow along. But even if you did not win, you got to see the collection through the week, and that is a small prize in itself.
The modern alchemy giveaway is a good model for any small shop. A theme, a clear schedule and a variety of prizes give people a reason to come back day after day.
The Friday prize was the highlight, as a gift set and an accessory feel more like a present than a single jar. I always enjoy putting those together.
Remember to follow safe burning habits with any prize you win. Place the candle on a flat, heat safe surface and never leave a flame unattended.
Thanks for following the modern alchemy giveaway.
Watch for the next modern alchemy giveaway on our Facebook page.
Header photo: David Spender from United Kingdom, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
