McDonald’s new poster is completely empty, yet brilliant

Fast food restaurants have a distinctive smell that attracts many. McDonald’s knows this too, and they thought that if people only recognize the restaurant by the smell, what if they didn’t even put anything on their latest billboard –

The idea was implemented in the Netherlands. In several parts of the country, billboards were erected that had no logos, images or inscriptions on them, only one of the basic flavors associated with the restaurant chain. And the smell, which was taken care of by a ventilation system: they made the board hollow and put fried potatoes in it. The air was circulated so that passers-by could smell the food.

A good proportion of people recognized what they were feeling, and from there the next step was self-evident. The signs were deliberately placed within a 200-meter radius of McDonald’s restaurants, so passers-by could quickly alleviate their desire for fast food.

There is no doubt that the advertising idea is brilliant, let’s take our hats off, but McDonald’s claim that this is the first advertisement in the world that focuses on smell is not true. For example, the Bloom grocery store chain operating on the East Coast of the United States placed giant steak posters in its stores in 2010, which also smelled good. And in Argentina, shopping centers were covered in 2021 by orange juice and coffee scented signs. They did not want to sell, but to draw people’s attention to the fact that if they do not smell these characteristic, strong smells (and nothing else), then it is suspected that they have the coronavirus.