There's a burger billboard on I-35 just south of downtown. It's photographed beautifully, with crisp lettuce and a juicy hamburger patty pouring out from a bun. I want to take my two hands off the wheel and grab that burger.
The billboard knows this. Its tag line admonishes me and other drivers: "Keep your eyes on the road." But I can't. I'm drawn to that burger in a way that shames me. So when I came across the following news item, I figured my days as a driver may be numbered.
The Bloom grocery chain in North Carolina is experimenting with new steak-scented billboards that emit a fan-blown aroma of charcoal and black pepper during peak traffic periods. A rapid current of air is pushed over fragrance oil cartridges to waft the smell to drivers.
Admen have sought for years to add the dimension of smell to still and moving pictures. A decade ago, Time was wondering whether Smell-o-vision could ever be a reality on living room screens. And Scratch n' Sniff stickers are now available in custom scents.
The use of fragrances in public places has been controversial. In 2006, the California Milk Processing Board's "Got Milk" campaign made headlines when it placed chocolate-chip cookie scented strips in San Francisco public bus stops. After one day, city officials ordered the strips be taken down over concerns about liability and the nuisance factor.
For my sake and the sake of those in the lanes around me, I hope this new effort doesn't catch on any time soon.
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