If the idea of advertising everywhere gets up your nose, then a sensory new campaign at the heart of the New York subway system might not be for you. Commuters passing through Grand Central Station will find Christmas aromas filling the air thanks to Bath & Body Works, a store pumping vanilla and pine-scented vapours into the public space.
Jamie Sohosky, Bath & Body Works’ chief marketing officer, confirmed the fragrance being sprayed from the girders at the 42nd Street shuttle platform is “Fresh Balsam,” which the firm says is a favourite, known for its seasonal associations. With visible (and of course smellable) puffs of the product spritzing the atmosphere regularly, the company says it anticipates using up between nine and 14 kilograms of the fragrance for the Christmas promotion.
While some public spaces, such as car parks, are known to disperse scent through their air conditioning systems to improve customer perceptions of cleanliness and safety, the New York subway campaign is different. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, in charge of New York’s subway and bus network, says the initiative is allowing them to explore new revenue streams in a station that handled around 33.5 million passengers in 2024, with 400,000 riders per day, taking journeys to and from the Times Square shuttle every four to five minutes. As advertisers might say, that’s a lot of eyeballs – or in this case, nostrils.
Before coming to the iconic central hub, the idea was trialled in Queens and Brooklyn to ascertain its safety and the public reaction to it. Mary John, director of commercial ventures, told the press, confirming the olfactory operation has not yet generated any public complaints.
@kaymacknight ✨Truly a Christmas miracle. ✨ Thanks, @Bath & Body Works for making my commute a bit more magical!! . #nyc #grandcentral #grandcentralterminal #nycapartment #realestateagentsoftiktok #nycrealestateagent #realestate #realestateagent #travel #luxurylife #moving #movingtonyc #luxuryrealestate #newyork #newyorkcity #newyorker ♬ Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee
Commenters have compared the aroma to perfume or fabric freshener, with many praising the seasonal pine scent, describing it on Reddit as “definitely Christmassy,” and others noting it is an improvement on the usual odours present in the New York transit system. However, some have pointed out the potential for commuters with allergies or other challenges to argue that Grand Central’s new fragrance-filled corridors present an accessibility issue.
Though new to the New York subway, the Bath & Water Works campaign is not the first time so-called “scent marketing” has been tried. Apparel brand Abercrombie & Fitch uses their scent Fierce as a signature throughout their stores, and in the Netherlands, McDonald’s has used “smellboards” that emit the smell of French fries into the street as part of its “Smells Like McDonald’s” campaign.
