I am not referring to random outdoor smells like food, pollution or people, but to (more or less) carefully designed, indoor scents. A whole new world of store smells is taking shape as more brands are using the creative and powerful language of scents to communicate with their customers.
Any examples? I've recently taken a walk down Oxford Street in London, one of the major shopping streets in the world and, on a nose-shopping, I noticed that that...
High street fashion giant H&M are designing the air of their ground floor womenswear department with a soft, fresh, floral blend. The scent magically fades away as you take the escalator up or down. The scent is quite subtle and pleasant I'd say and can get unnoticed.
On a quite more enveloping approach, underwear brand Intimissimi, is using a talc powder-like scent, which you can smell from outside the front door. Does this reflect their idea of a woman? Store and window pictures show soft, reassuring curves being pushed up by bras...
Further down the road, on Regent's Street, a woody accord welcomes you in the new state-of-the-art Burberry store. The accord is, again, quite subtle and matches well with the store materials. It plays a contrast with the soapy musky Body fragrance which is everywhere in the store.
This is just the beginning of a scent revolution... How can you find out more about how scents can enhance design, marketing and retail or simply our homes?
Come to our one and only, Vogue-featured,
Design With Scents course in London: with other creatives, you'll experiment how to design a place through the sense of smell. Also, don't miss the Scent World conference in New York, where I will be guiding a
"Scent Awakening" session!
NP/SP
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london-gifts.co.uk
