McDonald's new proposal, which was revealed by consumers themselves, continues to be a driving force in the advertising industry, where brands are betting on new proposals to win over consumers. It was here that they were surprised because the brand launched the first scented billboards, and many claimed that they smelled like Happy Meals.
There are many trends in advertising, such as aromarketing, a technique for creating emotional bonds between a brand or business and the customer through olfactory memory.
Its main objective is to build consumer loyalty and thereby increase sales. The use of scents is an effective tool for boosting positive results and creating an authentic experience during the customer's purchasing process.
According to data from Brand Sense, 75 percent of the sensations that affect an individual come through smell, which creates anchors and memories that leave a mark on people's subconscious, making it vital for brands.
The same source states that scent marketing can be used to employ specific aromas in a business environment in order to evoke emotions, thereby influencing consumer behavior and employee morale.
In light of this, this strategy complements outdoor advertising and billboards, which are the best known, as we see them every day in many different types of advertisements.
Its effectiveness can be seen in the value that this form of marketing has been recording in recent years, with data from Dentsu Aegis Network indicating that spending on outdoor advertising in Mexico accounted for 5.5 percent of outdoor advertising investment in 2020.
According to a study by AAM, Mexican advertising spending reached US$4.3 billion in 2018 and is expected to increase gradually in the coming years to exceed US$4.6 billion in 2024.
The first scented billboards
This is a strategy by McDonald's in the Netherlands, which presented a revolutionary way to attract consumers to its iconic hamburgers and French fries: launching the "world's first billboard" that smells like its food.
"This is the first time a billboard has been used to spread the aroma of McDonald's," Golden Arches representatives said in a statement this week about the scent advertising initiative.
At first glance, the red and yellow signs without logos, which were installed in Utrecht and Leiden, evoke sculptures from some minimalist modern art movement.
However, when pedestrians pass within about 15 feet of these Spartan structures, they are greeted by the distinctive aroma of McDonald's French fries: think of a large scratch and sniff without the scratch.
The brand itself shared images showing fast food fans gathered around these Mondrian-style monoliths as they try to guess the smell.
McDonald's billboards
How can this be possible?
Given this, many wonder how the complex aroma of Arcos Dorados' cuisine can be captured in a giant rectangle.
A McDonald's employee installs a tray of French fries on the sign, which relies on state-of-the-art fans to "suck in and diffuse" the aroma.
While this campaign may seem like a Willy Wonka-inspired gimmick, there are good reasons for customers to "follow their schnoz," say representatives of the chain.
“Smell has been shown to be more effective than images at triggering clear, emotional memories,” explained Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan, marketing director at McDonald’s Netherlands. “By including this additional sense in our advertising, we have found a new way to remind people of the good times they have had at McDonald’s.”
Okay, these scent-luring salt licks are strategically placed 600 yards from a McDonald's so customers can follow the scent trail to the source.
This is not the first time that a brand has attracted consumers' attention with these strategies. One example is the Glade brand, which uses this experience in its proposals.
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