Canadian Tire Ads Let You 'Smell the Spring'
Elsa Blaine — March 23, 2008 — Marketing
References: canadiantire
Trend Hunter has written a lot about the rise of scentvertising, and Canadian Tire is the next example.
Recently while I was perusing a new home decor/fashion/beauty magazine I was overcome by the aroma of campfire. I was sitting on my couch and outside remained at least 2 feet of snow from the last storm, so I knew the unlikeness that someone was indeed roasting wienies outside. As I read on, the odour grew stronger until finally I came across a full page spring ad for Canadian Tire.
Following the path of many fragrance companies, Canadian Tire has taken the sniff strip to a new level using the familiar paper peel-back strip format to attract the attention of the female reader. On the reverse of the ad were six coupons for various barbecue related products. I have since found a second such ad, also in a typically female read magazine offering a whiff of freshly cut grass, with money saving coupons for lawn care products on the back.
What a great way for this historically testosterone driven company to reach the 35-45 year old female target market. I may not run to the store to purchase a new lawn mower, but I sure have told a lot of people about the ad and some of them indeed set out to see the new models.
Recently while I was perusing a new home decor/fashion/beauty magazine I was overcome by the aroma of campfire. I was sitting on my couch and outside remained at least 2 feet of snow from the last storm, so I knew the unlikeness that someone was indeed roasting wienies outside. As I read on, the odour grew stronger until finally I came across a full page spring ad for Canadian Tire.
Following the path of many fragrance companies, Canadian Tire has taken the sniff strip to a new level using the familiar paper peel-back strip format to attract the attention of the female reader. On the reverse of the ad were six coupons for various barbecue related products. I have since found a second such ad, also in a typically female read magazine offering a whiff of freshly cut grass, with money saving coupons for lawn care products on the back.
What a great way for this historically testosterone driven company to reach the 35-45 year old female target market. I may not run to the store to purchase a new lawn mower, but I sure have told a lot of people about the ad and some of them indeed set out to see the new models.
Trend Themes
1. Scentvertising - The trend of using scents in advertising campaigns to evoke emotions and create brand recognition.
2. Sniff-strips - The rising popularity of peel-back paper strips in print advertisements that release fragrances.
3. Multi-sensory Branding - The use of scents, sounds, and other sensory experiences to strengthen brand identity.
Industry Implications
1. Retail - Brick and mortar stores can implement scent marketing to create a unique shopping experience and stand out from online competitors.
2. Advertising - Innovative advertising agencies can differentiate themselves by incorporating multi-sensory branding techniques into campaigns and creating unique, memorable experiences for consumers.
3. Fragrance - Fragrance companies can expand their market by partnering with businesses to create signature scents for their brand, leading to a new avenue of revenue.
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