Dive Brief:
- Popcorn maker Pop Secret created the Pop Dongle mobile phone attachment, which emits the smell of buttered popcorn when mobile users are playing the branded game Poptopia.
- Pop Secret is testing the dongle, which plugs into the audio jack, via three limited editions up for auction on eBay, with proceeds going to the American Red Cross.
- Adding smell to mobile is the brainchild of Pop Secret and Deutsch, and it follows creative marketing like Pop Search, a browser add-on that helped users search for movies, and an app that helps keep popcorn from burning.
Dive Insight:
On the surface, the Pop Dongle seems like a one-time marketing stunt, but the technology may open doors for other brands. While a number of food companies have used smell to sell, incorporating scents into a mobile campaign is new. If consumers bite, we could be in for a smelly new trend — though there may be limits to scents people are willing to be spritzed with by their phones.
