McDonald's Releases Billboards that Smell Like French Fries
People all over the world recognize the famous McDonald's golden arches. But the arches are nowhere to be seen in the company's new promotional billboards that have been released in the Netherlands.
In fact, the billboards are blank, in either red or yellow. But the fast-food giant believes people will know exactly what the billboards are advertising — not by how they look, but by how they smell.
The billboards have been placed in Utrecht and Leiden, both about a 40-minute-drive from Amsterdam, the capital.
People may be confused at first, but once they walk within 5 meters of any of the billboards, they will smell something familiar coming from inside: McDonald's french fries.
And if the smell is tempting, they don't have to travel far — all the billboards have been placed within 200 meters of a McDonald's restaurant.
"It's the first billboard where the smell becomes the ad," the company said in a video promoting the billboards.
A spokesperson from McDonald's Netherlands said that "McDonald's is all about Good Times" and since smell has been shown to help people think of certain memories, the company hopes the billboards will "remind people of Good Times at McDonald's."
The news comes not long after McDonald's announced it has partnered with Krispy Kreme. McDonald's stores in the US will start selling Krispy Kreme donuts later in 2024, and they will be available in stores all over the country by 2026.
