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Interactive Scented 4D
Cinema Advertising

Incorporation of scent into the cinema space is not new. There were several attempts to use scent in conjunction with film in the past using systems such as The AromaRama, Smell-O-Vision, and Odorama, albeit rather unsuccessful.

While releasing scents concurrently with film can be complicated, using scent concurrently with ads has seen successful stories. 

In this day and age where our attention spans are less than that of a goldfish, the movie theatre is a unique way to advertise with scent, enhancing the “blackbox” experience.

Brand impact increased by 30% when more than one sense is engaged and by 70% when three senses are integrated into the brand message.

Martin LindstromBrand Consultant and Best-Selling Author

Success Stories: 1

Beiersdorf Nivea Germany

In Germany, Beiersdorf ran a scented movie ad for Nivea sun cream and saw incredible results for brand recall. A typical sunny beach scene with the sound of waves crashing and cries of seagulls left a huge impact on the audience when combined with the scent of Nivea sun cream in the movie theatre. 

Cinema exit polls revealed a 515% increase in recall for the Nivea ad compared with moviegoers who saw the spot without the scent. The same ad, when combined with only a subliminal whiff of scent, scored a 25% lift. 

Success Stories: 2

Nescafe Nestle Australia

Beiersdorf is not the only brand that has used scent for cinema ads to increase brand engagement and recall. Tapping on the unique cinema space that allows for the integration of visual, auditory and scent stimuli, Nescafe Australia created a 4D moviegoing experience for the audience. 

‘This new “coffee” experience was very well perceived by viewers and certainly played a key role in the recent success of our 2013 campaign’, said Camille Meylan, Head of Marketing, Nestle Beverages.

Check out our Case Study on Nescafe 4D Cinema.

Ambient Scenting 

A whiff of buttery popcorn is sufficient to remind us of a moviegoing experience. The scent of popcorn is able to trigger our memory of watching a movie because we remember a scent by associating it with an event. Diffusing the scent of popcorn near the entrance of a cinema could remind passersby of their previous moviegoing experiences and entice them to see a movie.

Odour Neutraliser

Having a pleasant scent is key to providing moviegoers with a positive experience. Movie theatre is a closed environment where many individuals congregate. Body chemicals of different people will be released and accumulate in the air over the course of the movie and negatively affect the movie experience. Scent acts as an odour neutraliser to keep the air smelling fresh.