In a season rich with nostalgia and tradition playing out against a backdrop of crackling fires, twinkling lights and tidings of comfort and joy, the marketplace was clamoring for something mas.
And that something was taco-scented wrapping paper.
So many people, in fact, recognized that wrapping gifts in paper that looks and smells like a Taco Bell Crunchwrap was an awesome idea that supplies quickly ran out. That is what happens when you take something as popular as a taco and you create a multisensory experience around it. Who wouldn’t want to wake up on Christmas morning and follow the smell of tacos to a stack of gifts wrapped in five layers of paper taco ingredients?
As the latest in a string of quirky, branded holiday products, Taco Bell – with an assist from the H&H Graphics special effects team – released wrapping paper infused with the scent of its Triple Double Crunchwrap. With sheets designed to look like beef, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, tostadas and a tortilla, the limited edition scented paper was offered exclusively on Amazon by Taco Bell Canada and sold out within 48 hours.
Wake Up and Smell the Tacos: Scented Marketing Drives Engagement
Adding scent to a promotion multiplies the appeal, generating engagement with your product or brand in a way that ordinary promotions can’t match. At H&H we specialize in creating powerful multisensory special effects for printed promotions and packaging that can’t be ignored. Scent is a powerful source of associations, far beyond thoughts of food.
While this year’s array of scented-product promotions includes a fireplace log that fills your house with the aroma of Kentucky Fried Chicken and White Castle’s hamburger-scented candles, the promotions have more to do with getting consumers to engage with a brand than about sparking a food craving.
The science behind such wacky promotions is straight-forward: smell plays a big role in consumer behavior.
The Science of Smell in Sensory Marketing
When you consider that the olfactory system in the brain is linked to memory, decision-making, and more, it’s no wonder that Taco Bell’s paper sold out so quickly. Research has shown that smell influences roughly 75% of the emotions we experience daily, many of which are linked to memories. The smell of freshly-baked cookies, for example, can trigger powerful feelings of nostalgia.
Happy memories are often closely associated with smells, which is one of the reasons why so many big brands take advantage of our expertise with scented marketing. From Liberty Mutual’s “new car smell” newspaper insert that was recently named an Ad Age editor’s pick, to a scented recipe card for a high-end vodka brand, we create promotions that get attention.
Get Results with Multisensory Printing Expertise
At H&H Graphics, we can help you find the right mix of multisensory special effects to engage your target audience including an unlimited variety of ways to use scent to amplify your message. From pumpkin pie and pudding to wet dirt, freshly cut grass and suntan oil, we have over 100 scents in stock. Or use your imagination and our R&D department can create a custom scent. When it comes to special effects printing, our capabilities go way beyond tacos. We’ve got the whole enchilada.
To learn more about how to use the power of scent in your next print promotion or packaging project, give us a call or click on the link below.
