Carnival Cruise Line on
Wednesday set up a vending machine in New York's Greeley Square Park that
dispensed cans filled with the scents of Caribbean destinations.
The novel promotion featured
cans of Wild Banana Orchid from Grand Cayman, Puerto Rican Coffee from San
Juan, Sugarcane Rum from St. Kitts and Island Coconut from Cozumel. The
aluminum cans contained nothing but air and fragrance, but could be "popped"
like a traditional soft drink.
The vending machine, which
also dispensed chances to win a free Carnival cruise, was set up in a heated
tent. The promotion also featured a steel drum band and scents from the islands
piped throughout the air.
Carnival said it developed
the idea from research showing that that 95% of Americans agree that scent can
trigger vacation memories and 56% agree that a scent motivated them to plan a
vacation.
"Our #OpenFun campaign
is designed to promote travel to the Caribbean by encouraging consumers to stop
and smell the tropics, get a 'scents' of what a cruise experience might be
like, and maybe win a cruise vacation," said Stephanie Esposito, director
of digital marketing for Carnival Cruise Line.
The concept is part of the participatory
and interactive marketing strategy pursued by Carnival chief marketing officer
Kathy Mayor.
Winter is prime time for
tropical tourism promotions in cold climates. Fort Lauderdale for several years
advertised its beaches with a glass-enclosed flatbed truck that featured a real
sand beach with a lifeguard stand and lifeguard. The Florida Keys in 2014 dispatched a
lime-green food truck to Toronto to hand out slices of key lime pie.