By Anil Thakraney
So, after ‘singing’ newspapers, we have smelly newspapers. (God knows what awaits us next… perhaps farting newspapers.) Last Sunday, makers of Bru Gold executed a sensational media innovation in the TOI. The cover page was made to smell of coffee beans. So that readers could experience the fragrance of Bru Gold.
To be very honest, I had no idea and only heard about this innovation from reports in the media. Because when I lifted that particular edition, which was soon after the municipal elections in Mumbai, I could only smell rats inside the newspaper, if you know what I mean. But I did not smell the coffee. To give the advertiser the benefit of the doubt here, I must declare that I don’t drink coffee, so maybe that’s why the aroma eluded me.
Therefore I shall do my evaluation purely on the presumption that most readers were able to smell it. If that is the case, it’s a kick-ass innovation and needs to be applauded. Must have taken a lot of preparation and perseverance to make it happen, and one must appreciate that. I also approve of the innovation because unlike Volkswagen’s musical newspaper (a really corny idea) this one was non-intrusive and silent. So, good work guys, and I will be generous with my rating.
However, that still doesn’t change the fact that I only smelled rats in the newspaper that morning.
Rating: (On a scale of 1 to 5): 4. Super media innovation. Should win a few trophies.
Comments
2 responses to “Debrief: Didn’t smell the coffee (but loved the innovation)!”
I liked the creative. The same was nicely done as a result visually it was giving a feel of coffee beans on the paper. I didn’t feel the aroma of coffee beans as no hint of the same was there. As a consumer I feel it served to me as a good creative rather than an innovation which was the main idea.
I was wondering why the coffee smell till I saw the ad after which I said WOW