Scentsational Branding Trends

Design, like other arts, harnesses the senses and makes use of sight, sound, and touch through the use of color, texture, form, harmony, and more, to create brand images or make a product more salable. One of the least explored senses, smell, is now the latest sense-trend being creatively interpreted in spaces to develop nuanced and effective brand stories via unique scent-based experiences. According to Air/Aroma, a scent marketing company, scents makes for “happier customers who remember your brand and linger longer.”

IKEA recently partnered with Byredo, an indie Swedish home scents brand, on the development of an IKEA scent. Byredo and IKEA will explore ways of distributing and presenting the scent of IKEA through a variety of products. They want to look at the “invisible design” of scent and explore a “democratic approach to smell.” Details of the collaboration are hush hush but in all likelihood it will mean a candle by Byredo that is more affordable and a perfume you can wear while enjoying your IKEA bistro $3 lunch and lingonberry drink.

Another scentsational trend, is the perfume bar. The Feel, designed by Dana Shaked, is an apothecary styled fragrance kiosk where customers can sample and explore new scents. The bar will be centrally located in an Isreali shopping mall, so will serve a dual purpose of being a great place to find a new scent and also a place to linger and enjoy the pleasant aromas while shopping in the surrounding stores.