realestate.com.au continues to invest in digital entertainment, with today’s release of ‘Sale Scents’ starring popular celebrity MasterChef Gary Mehigan.
Inspired by existing research that says using aromatic citrus scents could help your house sell for more, realestate.com.au teamed up with Mehigan and aroma specialist Dr Megan Thornton to put it to the test in a fun two-minute film.
In the piece, Gary and Megan test six scents with 44 people inspecting the property in ‘scent groups’. The individuals in each group are then asked what they thought the home is worth, with the citrus scented home ultimately receiving the highest valuation.
Gary Mehigan commented: “I must admit I was also with most Australians in thinking that baked bread was the best smell to have wafting through your home. Not so! Citrus scents are the most appealing at an open for inspection. So while I reckon my brownies and bread pass the taste test, it’s lemons, limes and oranges that will make noses sing.”
Elizabeth Minogue, Executive General Manager of Media & Marketing at realestate.com.au said:
“While many of realestate.com.au’s 5.9 million unique audience1 visit us to find and sell property, there’s a significant portion who come for news, insights and entertainment, which is why we created Sale Scents. Gary Mehigan is one of Australia’s best loved chefs. He encompasses the emotional connection we place between home and food, which we know will resonate with our audience.”
Simon Bagnasco, Executive Creative Director at BWMD said:
“There is a prevailing theory in the community that if you bake bread or brew coffee you can sell your house for more. We decided to put that theory to the test with Gary and Megan in a creative and engaging way for realestate.com.au.”
Six other short edits across realestate.com.au’s social channels will be released in coming weeks.
To view the open for inspection test with Gary Mehigan, click here.
The science
- Research has shown that while vanilla makes people more relaxed, citrus aroma makes them feel more stimulated.2
- Modern homes benefit from ambient, simple aromas that do not distract from their surroundings. 3
- Complex aromas i.e. too many ingredients, make human senses work hard, whereas a simple natural scent can create clarity of mind.4
- In a retail environment, if people smell something overpowering and they feel like they are being fooled, they can be more critical of what they are looking at 5 and therefore the price.
Campaign credits
realestate.com.au
Elizabeth Minogue, Executive General Manager Media & Marketing
Amanda Chase, Executive Manager, Marketing & Brand
Ben Lemon, Senior Manager, Brand & Product Marketing
Georgie Leslie, Consumer & Brand Marketing Manager
BWMD
Simon Bagnasco, Executive Creative Director
Chris Andrews, Creative Director
Cam McMillan, Art Director
Jake McLennan, Copywriter
Sonia Mclaverty , Senior Onscreen Producer
Pat Vietta, Head of Production
Belinda Murray, Client Services Director
Melanie Sakkeus, Account Director
Finch
Corey Esse, Executive Producer
Jackie Adler, Producer
Christopher Nelius, Director
Gary Woodyard, Editor
Adam Howden, DOP
1 Nielsen Digital Ratings (Monthly), April to August 2016.
2 Warrenberg, S. (2002) Measurement of emotion in olfactory research. In Given P. and Paderedes, D. (eds), Chemistry of Taste: Mechanisms, Behaviours and Mimics. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp. 243-260.
3 Warrenberg, S. (2002) Measurement of emotion in olfactory research. In Given P. and Paderedes, D. (eds), Chemistry of Taste: Mechanisms, Behaviours and Mimics. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp. 243-260.
4 Rimkute, J., Moraes, C., and Ferreira, C. (2015) The effects of scent on consumer behaviour. Internaional Journal of Consumer Studies, 40(1), 24-34.
5 Spangenberg, E.R., Grohman, B., and Tracey, D.L. (2006) Gender-congruent ambient scent influences on approach and avoidance behaviours in a retail store. Journal of Business Research, 59(12), 1281-1287.
