Turning Grand Central Station into a pine forest might be the best sensory play of the season.

Bath & Body Works is running a campaign that makes parts of New York City (yes, even its subways) smell like Fresh Balsam.

Image courtesy Bath & Body Works

The brand’s realistic evergreen tree scent greets commuters in Grand Central and Chicago’s Clark & Lake station, diffusing holiday memories into the air where most people expect … something else entirely.

It’s genius sensory reframing.

By swapping the smell of transit (and, I’ll say it … pee) for the smell of Christmas, the brand hijacks the environment that defines “urban stress” and rewires it to trigger warmth, nostalgia, and buying mood.

This is product marketing at its most literal: 

The product itself becomes the medium.

And it’s a lesson for every maker.

When people can’t touch or taste your product, make them feel it anyway … through senses, context, or surprise.

The best place to reach buyers can be where they least expect you to waft up.

Want to make your product irresistible? That’s what we do as product marketing consultants at Graphos Product, helping innovators turn need-driven ideas into market-ready successes.