UK cinemas set to screen first scented ads

Marketing 08-Jul-08, 09:16

LONDON - Cinema sales house Pearl & Dean is in talks with several luxury brands about the launch of the UK's first scented ad campaigns in cinemas.

The company plans to roll out the format in the UK this year, having run a successful trial in Germany for Nivea. The scent was piped into cinemas via their air-conditioning vents. Unilever has also run a scent-based campaign in Dutch cinemas.

'After Nivea tested it in Germany, research showed that brand awareness increased 500% among the audience after the ad', said Mike Hope-Milne, enterprise director at Pearl and Dean.

Scent advertising is the latest tool being used by cinema sales houses to improve their offer to brands. Last month Red Bull ran the UK's first 3-D ad, and Cinema Advertising Association research shows that 55% of cinema-goers have downloaded on-site ads via Bluetooth.

Comments

David Llewelyn-Jones - 08/07/2008

won't it mix a little strangely with the stench of butter popcorn and anxious teenage perspiration?

Anne Fleming - 10/07/2008

Pumping scent through air conditioning vents? It seems they haven't bothered to consider those people who are sensitive or even worse - allergic - to fragrance and the damaging effect these chemicals could have on members of the audience. If I go to the cinema I do not want to be subjected to this kind of chemical warfare. It's bad enough on an aircraft when they spray the cabin to 'debug' it, but when you are out for an evening's entertainment and are subjected to being sprayed without your consent - not acceptable, sorry. I shall not be going to another Pearl & Dean cinema.