There's something in the air along a busy local road, and for once, it's not just exhaust fumes: It's the smell of grilled steak, courtesy of what appears to be the nation's first-ever scented highway billboard.
The Bloom grocery chain, part of Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion, is aiming to catch shoppers by the nose by wafting black pepper and charcoal smells from the base of a sign along River Highway (N.C. 150) in Mooresville.
— Read more at N.C. sign reaches out to noses on the road at The Sun News. Many thanks to Aimee for the link!
I’m glad I live in an area where billboards of *any* kind are illegal!
We don’t have many near me either…more to the point, don’t think many people drive around with their windows down these days anyway!
You could still get a whiff of it through your car’s ventilation system, even with the windows up.
I wonder what the anti-perfume faction will say about this? Or maybe some vegetarians will object to being subjected to the smell of meat? Or maybe the environmentalist movement will object to the implicit endorsement of burning charcoal and creating more CO2?
Seriously, though, I wonder just how much scent they have to install in the sign and what it costs?
Your vegetarian comment made me think of something funny (though I do respect vegetarianism): Some activists here many years ago were angry about a fundraiser barbecue they were having at our local zoo (which is often used as an event venue). They said it was inhumane and would stress the zoo animals out to subject them to the smell of grilling meat. True story.
I hope I didn’t sound rude. I know quite a few vegetarians myself, and I respect their choice, although I am an avid omnivore myself. I just don’t like people who try to force everyone else to conform to their choices. There also seems to be quite a lot of people ready to to protest over silly things, and when I read this article, I could imagine all sorts of ways in which people could choose to be offended. I just think it is a little bizarre. I can’t imagine that it is cost effective, although it certainly is creative.
This is a great idea. I love the smell of something freshly grilled.
I do too…
this sounds interesting!
They should do bacon. =)