Multisensory Ad Experiences

When campaigns feel this connected… you can almost taste them. I’m obsessed with connected thinking. The kind where every touchpoint, physical, digital, social, experiential, tells a consistent, relevant story. Not repeated. Connected. A narrative that builds, layers, and invites you in. And few recent examples nail this quite like FILA’s “Pancake Shoe” What could have been a gimmick is instead a brilliantly cohesive, multi-sensory campaign that carves out a niche through storytelling that’s playful, tactile, and immersive. Let’s break it down 👇 🤎 Product as the Creative Core: The shoe itself does the heavy lifting. A distinctive, bubbly sole that looks like a stack of pancakes. A warm palette of beige and tan, like whipped batter and golden syrup. FILA doesn’t build a campaign around the product, the product is the campaign. 🤎 Physical Worlds That You Want to Step Into - FILA built a pop-up shaped like a giant waffle house. Walls are soft, rounded, and textured like batter. Fixtures are carved into waffle-like niches. Giant pancake props, golden tones, and tactile materials turn retail into theatre. The brand world is edible, huggable, photographable. 🤎 Packaging That Extends the Narrative - Limited-edition boxes wrapped in waffle patterns, complete with edible seeding elements. Influencer boxes that don’t just say “pancake shoe”, they taste like it. Every detail reinforces the story. 🤎 Social & Digital That Mirrors the Physical - Influencers styled in cosy, domestic settings surrounded by waffle props. Digital frames displayed inside the pop-up, creating a perfect loop between the online and offline worlds. Creator content shot in kitchen-inspired sets, dripping with nostalgia and warmth. The result? A fully connected brand world that’s textured, tasty, and totally unforgettable. What I love most is how niche the idea is. It’s not trying to be everything to everyone. It’s weird, specific, joyful — and because of that, it stands out. This is the art of connected storytelling: 🤎 A single creative hook. 🤎 A narrative that flexes across touchpoints without fracturing. 🤎 A sensory language, texture, taste, scent, that makes the campaign feelable. In an age where brands scatter ideas across channels, FILA reminds us that depth beats breadth. When you build from a strong, sensory narrative, you can connect with audiences in ways that are both playful and powerful. For me, this is where the future of brand-building lives, in the spaces where stories don’t just show up everywhere, they make sense everywhere. Stop thinking in channels. Start thinking in worlds. Don’t just sell a product. Build a story people can step into, touch, taste, and share. ________________ *Hi, I am Tim Nash. I help global brands build connected campaigns that resonate across every touchpoint. 🚀 #BrandStorytelling #ExperientialMarketing #ConnectedThinking #RetailInnovation #MarketingStrategy #CreativeCampaigns

The Psychology of Sensory Escape: How Dior Armani and Loewe Make People Feel the Moment Luxury marketing isn’t about selling products. It’s about shaping mood behaviour and memory. People don’t just buy they step into a brand moment. Dior’s sensory invitation builds memory In Bodrum Dior’s “Dioriviera” pop-up recreated the Riviera with sandy floors Toile de Jouy sculptures and diffused fragrance. It was atmospheric not transactional. Multi sensory cues, smell touch sound, stimulate deeper memory encoding than visuals alone. Instead of browsing visitors were immersed. That emotional engagement activates reward pathways and strengthens attachment. The experience lingers and sharing it online becomes a subtle way to express personal taste and connection to the brand. The brand isn’t remembered for what it sells but how it made people feel. Armani’s Cannes space uses calm to convey control In Cannes Armani transformed its Croisette boutique and Armani/Caffè into a calm coastal retreat. Fluid levels tactile materials and quiet tones invited visitors to pause. Coffee service soft light and time spent in Made to Measure areas added to the ambience. This environment signals what behavioural psychologists call the anchor effect: calm surroundings influence perceived value. It’s not loud or fast. The pace signals confidence. That calm becomes part of the brand’s appeal encouraging longer stays higher spend and return visits. Loewe’s Crafted Garden connects participation with loyalty At Selfridges Loewe blurred the line between retail and theatre. Visitors pressed flowers engraved bottles and explored botanical installations. The same format in Shanghai attracted over 140,000 visitors. These experiences tap into commitment bias. When people take part share data customise a product they form a deeper bond. It’s no longer just a scent it’s their scent. That tactile memory strengthens the link between brand and identity. Craft becomes personal. And that kind of emotional attachment isn’t easy to replicate. These pop ups work because they tap into emotion context and memory. They invite people to stay to feel something to co-create. It’s not about the product. It’s about the moment that surrounds it and the behaviour it influences. #Luxury #Marketing #ExperientialMarketing #branding #popups #retail

Sensory marketing ≠ just food campaigns. Controversial, right? For months, I’ve seen people talk about sensory marketing, but only mentioning food campaigns. Don’t get me wrong: food is a powerful, multi-sensory trigger. But if you reduce the entire concept to just food, you're missing the bigger picture. True sensory marketing taps into all our senses, creating emotion-driven experiences that bridge the physical and emotional. It’s the feeling of wrapping paper when you unbox an order. It’s the signature scent of a store you step into. It’s the Spotify playlist curated by your favorite clothing brand. It’s beyond powerful. So, I turned to my friend Violetta Melnychuk, who’s worked across industries with sensory experiences. I asked her to share some of the best executions she’s seen across different fields. Here’s what she said: 💬 V: We often talk about how brands go beyond selling products - they create worlds that people want to step into. Sensory marketing isn’t just a tool; it’s the secret ingredient that transforms a transaction into an experience, a product into a memory. Let’s explore how brands mastered the art of engaging the senses to build emotional connections with their customers: — Sight defines identity. Loewe’s campaigns look like art installations, while Aesop’s amber bottles and minimalist design exude sophistication. Six Senses builds entire environments that blend seamlessly with nature, making every moment feel intentional. — Smell triggers memory. Aesop is instantly recognizable by its botanical and earthy scents, just as Six Senses fills its spaces with essential oils to reinforce relaxation. Even Loewe’s flagship boutiques use signature scents to deepen brand recognition. — Sound sets the mood. From Loewe’s fashion show soundtracks to the soft hum of a Nespresso machine, brands use audio to enhance experience. Bang & Olufsen, of course, takes it to another level, making every note feel as the artist intended. — Touch connects body & mind. Six Senses’ tactile experiences go beyond interiors—think grounding barefoot walks, invigorating cold plunges, and deep-pressure massages that fully engage the senses. Bang & Olufsen’s brushed metal and leather finishes turn tech into a tactile pleasure, while Nespresso’s sleek machines and aluminum capsules elevate a simple act into an indulgence. — Taste completes the immersion. Nespresso crafts each capsule for a precise flavor experience, while Six Senses turns food into a sensory journey with farm-to-table dining that connects guests to local culture. In sensory marketing, the power of secondary senses plays a crucial role in shaping customer perception even before they engage with the core product. Brands strategically design a multi-sensory prelude to evoke anticipation, excitement, and a sense of security. ________ Which brands do you think are getting sensory marketing right? Let us know! #sensorymarketing #experientialmarketing #branding

🔊👃 What if your fragrance could be heard? (And no, we’re not talking about ASMR.) Imagine walking into a luxury store. The lighting is soft. The scent is warm. You’re drawn to a space — not by signage, not by staff — …but by a sound that feels like vanilla and honey. It’s not a mood. It’s neuroscience. A 2025 study by Zacharakis (Frontiers in Psychology) just proved something wild: Our brains naturally associate smells and sounds using shared meanings like bright, warm, sharp, sweet. At Neuralisys, we tested this science in-store with a top-tier fashion brand in NYC, LA and Miami. The result? +24% time spent +37% implicit scent recognition +19% lift in purchase intention No gimmicks. Just coherent multisensory design based on cognitive science. If your store smells amazing but no one remembers it… it might be missing its soundtrack. #Neuroscience #RetailInnovation #ScentBranding #SoundDesign #ConsumerBehavior #LuxuryMarketing #Multisensory

Right Under Our Noses Around 75% of our emotions aren't triggered by what we see or hear. They're triggered by what we smell. With so many products fighting for attention on shelf, scent has become a powerful but often overlooked tool. It doesn't just catch your eye, it hits your nose. And when it's delivered through packaging, it can be unstoppable. Brands have tried adding scent to packaging for years because the results speak for themselves. Appealing scents are proven to drive sales. But it's expensive and impractical. In the case of print ads, research shows only 11% of people ever sniff those fragranced magazine pages. There's a much better way to reach the nose. Make people imagine it. Design can do that. Packaging has always leaned on colour, texture and sound. Scent has been largely ignored. Until now. Research from Bayes Business School shows how the right visuals can trigger our sense of smell. Feature fruit, flowers or herbs on pack and the product appears more appealing. Show a sliced lemon instead of a whole one and the brain starts to fill in the blanks. Too many brands get it wrong, selecting visuals that clash with the product experience or kill it completely. The whiff of failure, if you like. The clever ones build a full sensory story. They pair image, shape and texture so you can almost feel and smell the product before you open it. Cascave Gin doesn't rely on actual scent. It doesn't need to. Its textured label echoes the cave walls where the gin's water is sourced. You can feel the Brecon Beacons in your hand. Multi-sensory storytelling that sticks. As olfactory marketing becomes more accessible and multi-sensory design gains ground, more brands will start to capitalise on this. They say scent sells, but it's about much more than aroma. Great packaging design pulls you in, engages every sense and fires up the imagination. And, if you can do that without a single drop of fragrance, even better. Scentless but still sensational, wouldn't you agree? 📷Kutchibok

Everyone thinks CGI is the future of advertising. Boots UK just proved otherwise. At Westfield’s Pump Station, they launched a 3D billboard—but without digital trickery. No screens, no VFX. Just bold, tactile design that makes products physically leap off the wall. And then, the real game-changer: scent cannons. A fragrance experience that stops people in their tracks, making this activation not just visual—but sensory. The result? A campaign people don’t just see. They feel it. And that’s how you create something truly memorable. Sometimes, reality beats perception. The most immersive experiences don’t need CGI. They just need the right creative execution. Post: Tim Nash

Is Immersive Design the Secret to Emotional Brand Loyalty? Loewe’s pop-up in Polanco, Mexico City, was more than a retail moment. It was a multi sensory Renaissance garden, reimagined through the lens of innovation and sustainability. In collaboration with Molo Design, they built a green, maze-like structure using eco-friendly materials. Inside? A scent trail inspired by “A Walk Through Madrid,” where carefully curated plants and flowers offered an olfactory portrait of the fragrance. Visitors didn’t just see Loewe they breathed it in, touched it, became part of it. ✨ Psychologically, this tapped into embodied cognition the idea that what we feel with our bodies shapes how we think. When we physically experience beauty, our brain encodes that memory more deeply. When the air carries emotion, we remember the brand not just with our minds, but with our senses. Luxury today isn't only visual it's experiential. And that experience? It’s becoming the most powerful tool in emotional branding. Would you walk into a space like this not just to shop, but to feel? I would. Diego Pulido León y Vélez was part of this beautiful project. Images:noirmagazine #Loewe

Luxury marketing is evolving rapidly, shifting from visual appeal to a multisensory approach. Brands are crafting content that engages the senses, tapping into taste, texture, memory, and emotion. Consider Loewe and Jacquemus. Both brands have transformed food into a storytelling medium. Jacquemus uses fruit pastries and sun-drenched tablescapes to evoke a familiar Mediterranean warmth. Loewe experiments with glossy tactile aesthetics that feel as much as they look, immersing the viewer in the campaign. Food’s universal appeal lies in its connection to culture, nostalgia, and desire. Luxury brands that pair products with food sell more than just items; they offer a feeling almost tangible. In a fast-paced digital world, sensory triggers capture attention and linger. Today’s luxury consumer craves experiences over mere images. Sensory-driven content delivers precisely that: immersive, emotional, and memorable experiences. This trend is evident in our own clients at Dreamweaver Group. The demand for content that transcends aesthetics, content that evokes a mood, a moment, a sensation, is at an all-time high.

Smelling with your EYES and EARS. Digital retail is visual and auditory by nature. But what about the senses we can’t physically activate through a screen? In Full Fathom’s research collaboration with the University of Leeds we explored how multisensory cues work in online environments, particularly for scent-led categories. The standout insight: 76% of participants were able to identify a fragrance using audiovisual cues alone. This reinforces something powerful: the brain doesn’t need direct physical stimulation to construct sensory experience. When cues are designed intentionally, people can perceive scent without actually smelling it. Key takeaways from the study: • Non-olfactory cues can trigger clear scent perceptions • Layered multisensory inputs improve identification accuracy • Sensory congruency strengthens understanding of scent character • Well-matched stimuli can positively influence purchase intent online For sectors like beauty, wellness, and personal care, where scent plays a central role, this opens up important strategic opportunities. Digital environments don’t have to be sensory limitations. They can be carefully orchestrated sensory translations. In increasingly saturated markets, multisensory thinking isn’t a creative extra - it’s a competitive differentiator. How are you translating your physical brand and product experiences into digital ones? #multisensory #branding #digitalexperience #retailinnovation #designstrategy #beauty #personalcare #wellness

The next big marketing channel isn’t Instagram. It’s your favorite coffee shop. There’s a growing trend in sensory marketing - where brands are teaming up with local cafes to tap into consumer emotion through food and drink. And if scent and flavor aren't part of your brand strategy in 2025, you’re already behind. We’re seeing: - Skincare brands launching collabs with latte pop-ups - Makeup brands infusing packaging with café-inspired scents - DTC brands activating with limited-edition drinks at buzzy coffee shops Why does this work? Because flavor, scent, and touch are memory triggers. They build deeper emotional associations than digital ads ever could. It’s also social-first. People don’t just experience the product - they photograph it, tag it, sip it, and share it. Take Rhode’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie x Erewhon collab. Or Summer Fridays and branded coffee mugs. Even fashion brands like Coach have launched temporary cafes. The goal isn’t reach. It’s resonance. - Sensory cues boost recall - when people feel your brand, they remember it longer. - Memorable experiences get shared. That’s how sensory marketing fuels word-of-mouth. - Multi-sensory identities stick. The more senses you engage, the deeper the brand connection. And food - done well - is one of the most powerful sensory carriers there is. Would you try a product just because you tasted or smelled it first? #SensoryMarketing #BrandExperience #ConsumerEngagement #CafeCollabs