Sony’s New Playstation Makes Scents

The latest in gaming technology from the innovative minds at Sony smells like a winner!

Playstation® Scent™ is powered by OXYtracking technology, which allows scent information to be recorded onto Blu-Ray discs then released to an OXYtrack™ emitter fitted with ester dispensers. Just as a printer blends a finite number of ink cartridges to replicate every color imaginable, the ester dispenser combines a few “base scents” to create a myriad of impressions all across the scent spectrum.

Bundled with your OXYtrack ™ emitter, you’ll find an OXYtrack re-issue of Uncharted 2 - Among Thieves which enhances your journey through the streets of Tibet to the mythical valley of Shambhala with a multitude of oriental spices and incense. Future titles for the Playstation® Scent™ include Gran Turismo 5 and SOCOM 4, which will feature scents ranging from burning tires to tear gas and other weapon-specific scents.

The Scent of a Pretty Woman

“It has been a life-long dream of mine to create a perfume that speaks to women everywhere,” says Barbara Orbison, wife of the late great Roy Orbison, whose amazing operatic voice touched the hearts of several generations. “I believe that within every woman there is a pretty woman and my signature fragrance helps bring that out that inner confidence and spirit so they feel strong, empowered, sensual and pretty.”

Pretty Woman immediately brings to mind that iconic Roy Orbison song and, of course, the favorite fairy tale movie. “Like the notes of a song, the notes of Pretty Woman Perfume open to reveal a complex melody of florals, spices and woods. Its crisp, luminous bergamot top note evolves to reveal a full, vivacious middle note accord of stargazer lily, red rose and carnation. The fragrance’s base note accord of fresh amber, patchouli, vanilla, atlas cedar and sacred incense combine with a lingering everlasting warmth and harmony.”

At a suggested retail price of $80, the fragrance is garnering rave reviews across the internet and striking a harmonious chord with pretty women everywhere.

Endorphin Branding™ To-Go

You may occasionally forget a face, or a favorite old tune, but - whether or not you are consciously aware of it - you will almost certainly never forget a smell. It’s a phenomenon the Whiff-Guys have dubbed Endorphin Branding™. And the design studio of kawamura-ganjavian has found a nifty way to bring the benefits of Endorphin Branding™ to the masses.

“One particular scent can bring back more memories than a thousand pictures. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to store smells the same way we store photographs? SCENTER is a depository of scents. Concentrated personal fragrances can be stored inside compact cartridges, their scent being released through a nozzle upon pressing the bellows thus evoking the memories embedded in them.”

Considering that one of my own earliest childhood memories is the miniature shetland pony given to me by my aunt when I was 3, I doubt the world at large would be flocking to the aroma of my SCENTER, but “to each, his own” is the very essence of Endorphin Branding™.

Celine?-$35. Britney?-$45. You?-Priceless!

You don’t have to be a chemist - or a celebrity - to create your very own signature scent from scratch. The Alkindus Distiller is a snazzy looking contraption that extracts essential oils from plant leaves of your choice. The still has a copper frame and a cucurbit, condensing pot, and a glass cooling cup. The cucurbit holds the liquid to be distilled and is heated by the oil lamp. As the liquid boils, oil vapor is produced and moves from the cucurbit through the swan-neck tube and, once it reaches the water-filled condensing pot, is cooled and converted into a concentrated distillate.

The device will set you back about $200, but the endless possibilities and sheer mad-scientist fun of plucking, blending, and bottling every smelly plant in your garden make the investment seem pretty sweet!

Scent Branding Predicted to Gain Momentum

WebucationAustralia.com has released its “10 favorite Internet marketing predictions for 2010 as submitted by the MarketingExperiments community” and the Whiff-Guys are pleased to note that a prophecy by our pal Tracy Pepe at Nose Knows Consulting made the cut:

“I predict impressive brand scent campaigns within 10 to 14 months for Canada. Europe, specifically London, has already gained strength and Spain is not far behind. The USA will join in within 16 to 18 months and will push the trends. Watch and smell, people! Social media may be considered strong but you never forget a smell. The impression of social media lasts less than a second or until the next blog shows up.”

If we might presume to toss in our 2-scents, the Whiff-Guys are certain that Tracy’s prediction is right on the nose.

This Teddy Bear is a Breath of Fresh Air!

What could be more soothing to a cranky-fatigued baby than a plush cuddly teddy bear? An aromatherapeutic plush cuddly teddy bear!

Lulabie®, a new brand emphasizing the importance of family rituals in daily routines for their children’s emotional balance and well-being, has just launched its first collection, the Lulabie® Aromatherapy Teddy Bears. The fuzzy little critters come in a variety of colors and are scented with a special “sleep well” formula including lavender oil, orange, thyme, and cardamon. A patent-pending scent technology creates a slow and constant release of the fragrance, allowing your little tyke to enjoy months of sweet dreams, and refills are then available so you can refresh the scent without replacing the bear your baby will no doubt have bonded with.

Lulabie®, winner of the prestigious 2009 Jury’s Award for Toy of the Year in Europe, is part of the Scent A Brand group, which develops high quality applications of long-lasting scented products. The Lulabie® bear gift sets retail for $29.95 and are available online at www.walmart.com and www.target.com.

Online Shopping in the Multisensory Age

If there’s one problem that’s plagued the practice of online shopping since the birth of the Internet, it’s that shoppers really like to interact with products. They want to feel the texture and sniff the aroma and - in such cases as choosing a local restaurant or a box of Valentine chocolates - taste the wares, before forking over their hard-earned dollars.

Enter CD&I Associate’s The Sense, designed as part of the La Fin Du Design Exhibition, a wireless device that seeks to revolutionize online shopping by providing a way for consumers to smell, touch and taste their intended purchases before filling their cyber shopping cart. Sense is a combination of smell magnification system, smell and flavor-ink micro-printer, and a screen that is able to create a tactile experience of physical products. The micro-printer uses thirteen basic combinations of wax cartridges that print tiny translucent sheets to simulate flavors and melt in your mouth.

One of the most unique aspects about Sense is the touchscreen display which recreates the tactile experience through the use of nanotechnology. The user inserts his or her hands into the Sense sheath and is able to feel temperature, roughness, softness, hardness, or pressure. The device can be also be programmed with voice and read Braille text for the visually impaired. In addition to the experiences that come packaged with the device, new Sense applications can be downloaded from Internet.

Air Aroma Talking Scents with CBC News

For retailers heading into the holiday shopping season under the cloud of a bleak economy, there’s never been a more crucial need for an effective edge over the competition. CBC News’ Bob Nixon recently sat down with Dmitri Gailit from Air Aroma to sniff out the story on how scent marketing is impacting retail sales. Catch the full video HERE!

New Baby Smell!

Although they’re not making a stink about it (the added feature is not mentioned anywhere at their site), at least a couple of bloggers have been pleasantly surprised to find that Babies ‘R’ Us has spiced up their gift cards for this holiday season with the addition of scent!

“Did you know you can get scented gift cards at Babies R Us?” raves Jen at Honest Planet. “I didn’t either, and didn’t realize that it was scented until I got it home and was sorting through everything, and I was like, ‘What’s that yummy lavender smell?’ The whole front of the card is like a scratch-n-sniff!”

Guy Richards is likewise pleased with the new innovation. “Babies”R”Us is now placing scent on their gift cards. What a great idea. It makes the women’s pocketbook smell great and triggers a memory connection that keeps the brand in the forefront of the mind.”

Sweet Dreams for Restless Sleepers

Serta, Sealy, Sleep-Number, Tempurpedic…there are a lot of mattress giants trying to lure you into their beds. But, in a seemingly glutted market, Magniflex’s new Lavender Comfort model is a breath of fresh air. Through the miracle of nanotechnology, the concentrated aromatherapy oil is “woven” into the fabric. The scent capsules are triggered by movement so that tossing and turning will earn you and extra rush of calming, regenerative lavender when you need it most. Of course, nothing takes the aggression out of a spirited pillow fight like movement-triggered aromatherapeutic mattresses, but there’s a price for everything.

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