Well, after sitting in a bus shelter adorned with Magniscent, you'll surely want some! This holiday season, bus shelters in California were given an added feature called Magniscent as part of the "Got Milk?" campaign. Provided by the company Arcade Marketing, the smell of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies was infused into adhesives which were installed in hidden spots in the shelters. The idea is to build buzz by creating the desire for milk in an extremely unexpected and unusual way.
According to an article in The San Fransisco Chronicle, "olfactory marketing blitzes aren't new. There's the "new car" aroma at auto dealerships, "fresh-brewed coffee" smells in convienance stores, and "rose scents" for florists." Yet, scented advertising outdoors is a new idea in the US.
While outdoor marketing is a rapidly growing market for advertisers, this clever concept is a bit more unexpected than the now common bus shelter and billboard advertisements. And it is sure to grab the attention of everyone waiting for their ride home at the end of a long day. Bus shelters are a great way to advertise, especially in cities. Thousands of people use public transportation, and even more walk by the shelters along busy city streets. So ultimately, this unexpected campaign will reach the masses, regardless of socioeconomic status. Which is good, considering everyone loves cookies and milk.
In a country plagued with obesity, I'm not so sure the aroma of chocolate chip cookies is good for our health, but it certainly seems like a great ploy for the "Got Milk?" campaign.
xoxo
