by Amber Larkins, OOH Today
Scent is becoming increasingly popular as a technique for encouraging audiences to interact with out-of-home advertising content. Overall Murals recently partnered with Publicis and Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey for a brand marketing campaign that was as distinctive as the product’s unique taste. The team used large-scale murals and peanut butter scent machines to lure audiences into brand engagement.
Overall Murals collaborated closely with Atomic Props to design and build scent machines tailored to each installation. The devices could be battery-powered or hooked into the building’s electrical supply. Every 30 seconds, the machines released a burst of custom fragrance for 12 hours a day during the 4-week campaign.
This campaign used three hand-painted murals in high-traffic, trendy areas: West Loop, Chicago; Venice, Los Angeles; and Soho, New York. The vibrant visuals embodied the playful and unconventional spirit of Skrewball. Viewers were encouraged to smell the walls through “sniff me” messages and then experienced the scent of peanut butter.
“The scent was meticulously crafted to replicate the distinct aroma of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey,” Anna Golden-Dukes, Creative Director at Overall Murals, said. “By mirroring Skrewball’s signature scent, we aim to evoke the same sensory delight that fans of the whiskey experience, creating a memorable and immersive atmosphere that enhances the campaign.”
The scent machines were strategically placed adjacent to each painted mural, at a height that allowed the fragrance to waft down to passersby. Overall Murals reports that the campaign had more than 1 million interactions. Passersby stopped and exclaimed, “Wow, it smells like peanut butter!”, emphasizing how effectively combining visuals with an olfactory component can capture attention.
Overall Murals’ in-house content creation team, led by Senior Producer Hayden Todd, captured the entire process to share with the Skrewball and Overall Murals followers.
“The video effectively showcases the hand-painting process and the authentic reactions to our scented hand-painted mural,” Golden-Dukes said.
This is not their first time experimenting with the power of scent. Overall Murals has also experimented with scents like orange and raspberry ginger to entice audiences to interact more closely with the artwork.
“While our hand-painted murals already captivate and engage viewers, adding a scent component after the mural is completed, elevates the experience, creating a deeper connection with the audience and generating even more excitement for our clients’ hand-painted campaigns,” Golden-Dukes said.