Advertising billboards have tried every single design, formatting and word choice trick possible to grab people’s attention and sell a brand, product or idea.
Outside what is legally allowed and the physical limitations of the sign itself, there is a lot of room to be creative with signs and billboards.
In recent history, we have seen billboards in odd places, made of bizarre materials, made of unique shapes that jut out beyond the standard limits of the poster format and other unique trends.
However, it would take until 2010 for us to see the very first billboard to use not only sight but smell to sell a product. This is the story of the first scented billboard.
All Sizzle, No Steak
Food advertising has a very specific format, particularly when it comes to large format printing. It needs to be tantalising and engage the senses, often using an attractive image to engage several senses at once.
Bloom, a North Carolina supermarket, had an interesting solution to help sell its new line of steaks. On a billboard next to River Highway, attached to a billboard featuring a giant fork and a piece of steak that reaches beyond the confines of the billboard, was a smell machine.
It was powerful enough to cut through the smells of petrol and exhaust fumes and sent the smell of beef towards commuters. The scent smelled like grilled meat with black pepper rubbed on to it, according to the advertising agency who set it up.
Despite the interesting innovation, it was beaten by a bad wind and was either too subtle or too strong to catch commuter attention.
It was a novel idea that needed better execution.
