What will you learn?
1. What unique element does McDonald's use in its new marketing campaign in the Netherlands?
2. How is the scent of fries being used in the "Smells Like McDonald's" campaign?
3. What technologies were applied to emit the scent of fries in public spaces?
4. What is the importance of scent in building positive associations with the McDonald's brand?
5. What is the main idea behind the "Smells Like McDonald's" campaign according to Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan and Darre van Dijk?
Scent-based campaign
The Dutch division of McDonald's decided to take a step further in its marketing efforts, not using logos or slogans, but the scent itself. As part of the "Smells Like McDonald's" campaign, the company set up large, colorful billboards in public places near its restaurants. Interestingly, these billboards contained no words, pictures, or logos – their main "attraction" was the scent. Passers-by approaching the billboards were greeted with the familiar smell of fries, which is quite unusual but also very ingenious.
Technology and emotions
Executing such a campaign required not just creativity but also the right technology. McDonald's used ventilation built into the billboards that emits the scent of fries as people approach. This initiative is based on the belief that scent can be more effective in evoking clear and emotional memories than images. "Scent has been proven to be more effective at evoking clear and emotional memories than images," said Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan, McDonald's Netherlands' chief marketing officer.
More than marketing
What sets the "Smells Like McDonald's" campaign apart is not just its innovation but also a deep understanding of how the brand is perceived and experienced by customers. The campaign is not based on traditional marketing methods, but on building positive associations with the brand through scent. As Darre van Dijk, chief creative officer at TBWANeboko, notes, "the scent of McDonald's is an iconic asset for the McDonald's brand, as recognizable as its products, golden arches, or jingle."
The new McDonald's campaign in the Netherlands proves that a brand is about more than just slogans or logos. It's about how people feel about your company. The most effective and powerful form of marketing is to remind people of the positive emotions associated with your brand, which McDonald's achieved by using its most iconic scent