Passersby invited to rip food-scented gift wrap off grocery chain’s billboards

Marking the start of the holiday season, Singapore-based grocery chain FairPrice Group set up interactive billboards made from food-scented gift wrappers outside its Clarke Quay outlet. The wrapping paper, adorned with Christmas-themed food motifs, features distinctive scents such as Cherry Pie, Christmas Salad and Raspberry Chocolate. From mid-November, passersby can tear off sheets to take home. Inside the store, shoppers are also invited to sample the dishes that inspired the designs, and enjoy scheduled performances of Christmas carols.

Multi-sensorial is the name of the game. Earlier in November, recreational destination Sentosa Island debuted a “sensorial wallscape” incorporating scent and sound in Singapore’s Dhoby Ghaut train station. And remember those eye-catching mango-scented newspapers by India-based Swiggy Instamart from earlier in the year.

A study released in October 2024 revealed that 42% of global consumers identified their most enjoyable experience from the previous week as occurring in the physical world, compared to just 15% in the digital realm. Consumers feeling the brain rot caused by highly digital lifestyles will appreciate real-world encounters that re-awaken their physical senses. The serendipitous nature of unexpected, multi-sensorial experiences encountered during daily routines also evokes surprise and delight — a premier factor in driving consumer loyalty. How might your brand turn consumers’ real-world surroundings into a multi-sensorial playground?