Sensory Experiential Advertising: The Science of Engaging All Five Senses

Tina Fascetti
Managing Director/Chief Creative Officer
The Agency Network at MJH Life Sciences

Advertising has always been about connecting with consumers, but in today’s multi-sensory world, it’s more important than ever to engage all five senses. Sensory experiential advertising is a powerful approach that leverages the science of sensory perception to create an emotional connection with consumers and drive results. By engaging the senses of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, brands can create a multi-sensory experience that is not only memorable but also drives consumer engagement and loyalty.

Contrex Bottled Water: Water has never been more exciting!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj05sSRkKa0

This campaign for Contrex is an example of bringing an engaging brand experience to life by combining sight, sound, and touch used simultaneously to create an engaging emotional connection with consumers. In this case, Contrex used the power of exercise to bring a light show with music to life on a building, succeeding in telling a story that inspired a fun, calorie-burning experience. Contrex not only succeeded in creating brand engagement but also brand excitement and an unforgettable brand experience.

Aetna: “11 more minutes” anti-smoking experiential campaign

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1406765559389374

This anti-smoking campaign for Aetna took a refreshing approach by using the senses to focus on what you can gain by not smoking as opposed to using scare tactics. Every cigarette you smoke takes 11 minutes off your life. This ingenious experiential campaign idea uses a machine that takes your cigarette and spits out an 11-minute experience using all of the senses. Experiences included 11 minutes of unconditional puppy love, 11 minutes of popping a room full of bubble wrap, an 11-minute acrobat show, and many more. It really illustrated how amazing 11 minutes can be and it brings home the point that every minute of life is a blessing worth quitting smoking for.

General Mills: Kids take the giant nutrition pledge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-WWMJzDTqE

When I was a kid, it didn’t take much to convince me to eat my vegetables. It all started with my Italian mom who knew how to rock a vegetable recipe and Popeye, who convinced me that eating spinach would make me big and strong. Today’s kids need a lot more convincing, and General Mills knows how to do it. Using augmented reality in an awe-inspiring way, they brought the Jolly Green Giant to life in Grand Central Station. Kids were asked to touch a head of broccoli that the Green Giant held out to them to “Take one giant pledge to eat one vegetable a day.” Kids were rewarded with a giant high-five and a photo that was shared online. This is a great example of using the senses of touch and taste to create healthy habits for kids everywhere.

Coca-Cola: Imagine a print and digital ad campaign that looks,
sounds and even tastes delicious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQovoot_ZUM

Coca-Cola partnered with Shazam to create an entire campaign that consumers can actually drink. Together, they created a new way to use their technology. By “Shazaming” the TV commercial, Coke Zero could be heard and seen pouring right into your phone – whether you were at home, at a concert, or among thousands at the NCAA final game. Every interaction ended with a free Coke Zero that could be redeemed at major retail stores across the US. Drinkable digital posters that you Shazam turn your phone into a digital straw. They also extended beyond digital to print ads that became cups and flyers that became straws. Every digital and print experience puts a Coke Zero into peoples’ hands. Bravo to the creators of this campaign for using existing technology in a whole new way. This bottled-up campaign is truly outside the box.

In conclusion, sensory experiential branding is a powerful marketing tool that can create a memorable experience for customers and increase brand loyalty exponentially. By appealing to a consumer’s five senses, brands can create an emotional connection with their customers and reinforce their brand identity in a truly memorable and exciting way.