theatlantic:

Inside Smellvertising, the Scented Advertising Tactic Coming Soon to a City Near You

Bus stops are typically not the place where you want to hoover in a big noseful of air. Car exhaust, stale cigarettes and fresh urine – the noxious bouquet of mass transit is anything but welcoming.

In this hazy stinkscape of forlorn odors, a food company is launching a marketing campaign.

By the end of today, crews in London, Manchester, Glasgow and other U.K. cities will have outfitted 10 bus stops with large advertisements for “McCain Ready Baked Jackets,” a frozen baked-potato product that microwaves to readiness in 5 minutes. Each billboard includes a fiberglass potato sculpture and a mysterious button: Push it, and the tuber discharges the aroma of “slow oven-baked jacket potatoes.” Read more.

[Image: JCDecaux]

So, does this mean Smell-O-Vision is making a comeback?