What does your bus smell like? Diesel fumes? Clothes that need washing? Mould? Most buses smell of all three. In Singapore, there are six buses that smell of minty fresh breath. Darlie toothpaste minty fresh breath.

There have been scented OOH campaigns before, like the Woolworths wall in Sydney that smelled of hot cross buns during Easter 2013. Perfume brands have used scented print ads for decades but pre-Christmas 2012, Woolworths ran a full-page ad that smelled of strawberries and cream.

Darlie’s scented buses, though, are a first.

The idea of a scentvertising bus campaign for Darlie toothpaste came from Wavemaker & Media Taurus. The scent, created by AllSense, is based on Darlie’s signature double mint scent, a blend of natural peppermint and spearmint essences and evokes the freshness you can feel using Darlie toothpaste.

The Darlie buses will be travelling through Orchard, CBD and suburbs in Singapore until the end of September.

Corrine Tan, senior brand manager at Hawley & Hazel, commented, “Traditional out of home has always been about creating a visual with impact; a visual feast that can connect audience to the brand. For the first time in a bus, we were able to add another dimension which can tickle the human mind. By adding a sensory element to stand out and engage the senses, we believed it will further elevate our brand experience for people and create an even more lasting impression on them through this first ever collaboration with Media Taurus. We think this will bring a very fresh experience to people on board the buses and especially for commuters early in the morning, create a strong association that using Darlie toothpaste helps start their day fresh! Integrated as part of our activities in digital platforms and in the retail stores, we believe that this OOH campaign will drive scale for the brand in driving awareness and enhance top-of-mind brand recall.”

Glenn Lim, group communications director at Tower Transit Singapore, added, “The Darlie bus is literally a breath of fresh air. It uses scent in an unexpected but simple way to deliver a unique brand experience for such an everyday product as toothpaste. The freshness of the scent could also revive the senses of weary passengers.”

Terry Jacobson, founder and managing director, AllSense, noted, “I think the best kind of experiential advertising is where the participating brand adds value to the consumers life without demanding attention or transaction. Given our tropical climate in Singapore, and the hustle and bustle associated with an everyday commute, I believe a minty fresh greeting will be welcomed by the day’s travellers. Given the stressors of urbanised living, this innovative Darlie activation has been designed to impart freshness and vitality to consumers.”

Credits:

Client: Hawley & Hazel Chemical Co. Singapore Pte Ltd (Darlie)

Media Agency: Wavemaker

Scent Vendor: Allsense

Media Owner: Media Taurus