Hasta La Gadget!

Kate spade new york is currently running an aroma sampling campaign in two places in Tokyo, giving consumers a chance to take home a sample of its new fragrance product “twirl” as it goes on sale across Japan.

Not too dissimilar to the manga dispensing ads I recently stumbled upon, kate spade is promoting the twirl perfume with posters in Omotesando and Shinjuku subway stations that feature peel-off scented cards. Not only can you experience the product’s smell but there are QR codes on the back of the cards so that you can enter a competition to win twirl goodies, such as a necklace or bag designed in the same way as the perfume.

Not quite as generous as Adidas — who are currently loaning out running shoes — but then, considering the quantitive nature of the product, the approach is very similar but more practical for the industry.

The aroma sampling posters are in the two stations from March 7th to March 13th, but the campaign is over when they’ve all been claimed. Certainly when I was there they were going quickly, even being taken by people who were obviously not the target consumer: these kinds of campaigns have a strong curiosity kick that engages with passers-by, no matter whether you buy perfume regularly or not.