Fast food giant McDonald’s has pioneered a new engaging marketing mechanism in the Netherlands. The innovative campaign entails the use of billboards that advertise its staple menu item: French fries. Unexpectedly, the billboard messages are left blank, but they are sure to leave a signature impression — they scent the air with the unmistakable aroma of McDonald’s fries.
The billboards lack not only written messages but also McDonald’s universally recognized golden arches logo. According to the marketing team’s rationale, there’s no need for explicit advertising; the distinctive scent alone is sufficient to communicate the brand’s identity.
At first glance, the prints may seem empty, but upon nearing a distance of five meters, passersby are swept up in the familiar and enticing essence of McDonald’s French Fries. This peculiar form of advertising comes as McDonald’s attempts to extend its sensory footprint, as demonstrated in a press release by Stijn Mentrop-Huliselan, CMO of McDonald’s Netherlands.
He stated: “We are well known for our distinctive brand assets that are mostly visual. Smell has been proven to be more effective at sparking clear and emotional memories than images. With the inclusion of this next sense in our advertising, we found a new way to remind people of Good Times at McDonald’s.”
Underscoring the aim of such a marketing approach, McDonald’s has ensured these aromatic billboards are cultured within 650 feet of some of its restaurants – amplifying the memory-inducing feature of the scent. This strategy comes hand in hand with the company’s recent collaboration with Krispy Kreme, a partnership planning to offer Krispy Kreme doughnuts in McDonald’s stores across the US from 2026.
Source: McDonald’s new marketing: Billboards that smell like its French fries.
