Magnums chocolate-scented ad leaves London…
London commuters acquired a whiff of one thing sudden this week — and it wasn’t just the standard Tube funk.
Ice-cream giant Magnum has rolled out a “multi-sensory” ad marketing campaign in a tunnel linking St Pancras railway station and the King’s Cross St Pancras Tube stop, pumping out the scent of chocolate to lure hungry vacationers.
Some riders have been candy on the concept — but many others said the aroma wasn’t precisely mixing nicely with the station’s present scent profile, sparking issues from passengers and workers, the BBC reported.
The stunt debuted Monday and was designed to recreate the feeling of biting into one of Magnum’s chocolate-coated ice cream bars — full with the scent of chocolate wafting through the passageway and a crackling sound impact meant to mimic the snap of the shell.
But commuting critics said the outcomes have been less Willy Wonka — and more bizarre science.
One rider told BBC London he appreciated the artistic considering — just not the execution.
He said: “I work in promoting and advertising, and I actually admire the concept but I’m not sure they accounted for some of the other odours that is likely to be in this enclosed tunnel.
“The combination of the smell of urine and the chocolate isn’t doing it for me.”
Another half of the ad — a sharp cracking sound meant to evoke biting into chocolate ice cream — also missed the mark for some passersby.
London Tube riders are catching whiffs of chocolate thanks to a new Magnum ad — but some say the candy scent doesn’t precisely mix with the Underground’s normal eau de commute. alice_photo – stock.adobe.com
One commuter said: “It sounded more like something tumbling out of a vending machine.”
Not everybody is popping their noses up at the stunt. Some riders reportedly said they preferred the concept and thought it added a bit of enjoyable to their daily commute.
Behind the scenes, however, some station workers say the scent has drifted into locations it most likely shouldn’t.
Transport for London (TfL) staff based at the Tube station have complained to the management of St Pancras station because the scent has been coming into their break room.
Magnum insisted the marketing campaign is supposed to add a second of indulgence to the daily grind.
A spokesperson for Magnum Ice Cream Company told the outlet that the stunt is supposed to recreate the expertise of eating the chocolate-covered deal with through “sight, sound and scent” and give commuters a fast second of enjoyment during their journey.
The company added that it has obtained principally optimistic suggestions since the marketing campaign launched March 9 and will “continue to optimize the campaign” before it wraps up on March 22.
“Our intention remains for our campaigns to be engaging and enjoyable,” the spokesperson famous.
Officials say they’ve already tweaked the rollout after suggestions.
London St Pancras Highspeed, which owns the station, said the timing and frequency of the scent release has been adjusted, while a TfL spokesperson confirmed they’re conscious of the issue.
Magnum says its chocolate-scented stunt is supposed to give commuters an olfactory deal with. Many riders are bracing their noses until March 22. Donald Bowers
Until the marketing campaign wraps later this month, commuters passing through the busy tunnel might want to put together their noses — because the scent of chocolate isn’t the only factor in the air underground.
As beforehand reported by The Post, commuters in New York have their own gripes about advertisements invading the daily grind — though in the Big Apple, it’s the ears being assaulted relatively than the nostril.
The MTA not too long ago started testing a pilot program blasting 30-second audio commercials into choose subway and commuter rail stations — sometimes as often as every 10 minutes — leaving many riders less than thrilled.
“It’s like, sometimes you just want people to leave you alone,” Dominick Piervinanzi, 17, who rides the 7 and A trains to get to his restaurant jobs, beforehand told The Post.
The so-called “Station Audio Advertisements” pilot blasts spots at roughly 75 decibels, turning once-quiet platforms into what some riders say looks like a nonstop business break.
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