Themed scent company AromaPrime has released its top 10 ‘weird and wacky’ smells over the past few years.
At number one, according to ‘smell experience experts’ at the company, is Kylie Minogue’s Breath, which was created for Kylie Minogue’s wax figure at Madame Tussauds by AromaPrime.
Number two is ‘unbearably fishy’ Penguin Vomit, used by zoos as part of their learning programmes. Number three is The Dentist, used in Halloween scare mazes to trigger personal fears.
Other popular smells on the list include Jaguar Urine, which was created in the AromaPrime lab using real jaguar urine and otter poo as inspiration; the scent of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, created for the Natural History Museum, and the smell of Queen Elizabeth II, created to accompany her Madame Tussauds figure. The aroma was based on Buckingham Palace and the Queen’s favourite flowers.
Unicorn is also in the top 10, as well as Burning Witch – used by The London Dungeon – and the scent of Sports Changing Room, which is apparently popular at sports museums.
According to Liam R Findlay, themed smell consultant at AromaPrime, appealing to visitors’ sense of smell can help attractions operators boost profits.
“Our scent receptors are connected to the part of the brain which processes memories and emotions, which is why fragrances help experiences stick in our minds. They also make us feel different emotions, like excitement, fear, or happiness,” he said.
“Not only does this boost guest satisfaction, but it also boosts ticket sales, gift shop sales and food sales, which is why post-pandemic attractions are opening themselves to the potential of aroma.
“The proof is really in the pudding. An ice cream shop at Universal Orlando Resort saw a 45 per cent boost in sales after six months of using scents for the first time. In a retail study, 84 per cent of participants valued shoes in a scented room as being worth more money than shoes in an unscented room.
“During the COVID-19 lockdowns, theme park fans were buying our most horrid ride stenches for their homes – Rotting Flesh even became a bestseller, all in an effort to transport themselves back to happy days out!”
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