Underground rail systems aren’t particularly noted for their pleasant aromas, with commuters often having to contend with a potent mix of sweat, hot air and industrial odours.
But this month, New Yorkers and tourists riding the subway are in for an unexpected sensory treat.
Inside a stretch of the Grand Central station this holiday season, the air is being infused with festive notes of vanilla and fresh pine.
Thanks to a new campaign for Bath & Body Works, up to 14 kilograms of fragrance will be dispersed across the 42nd Street shuttle train platform throughout November.
The area is one of the busiest in the system, transporting commuters to and from the Times Square shuttle every few minutes.
Diffusers attached to a steel girder will spritz visible bursts of vapour over the platform and along the walls of a connecting tunnel.
Speaking to ABC7 New York, passenger Jerome Murray said: ‘It smells better than the normal New York City tunnels that we normally smell here. So yes, I appreciate it.’
Another commuter, Kelly Rodriguez, 23, described the general smell as ‘a pine scent, very Christmassy,’ an observation echoed by several other riders.
New Yorkers and tourists riding the subway are in for an unexpected sensory delight this month
Notes of vanilla and pine will be fragrance will be pumped across the 42nd Street shuttle train platform throughout November, a campaign set up by Bath & Body Works
Diffusers will delicately spritz bursts of vapour over the platform and along the walls of a connecting tunnel
Meanwhile, Kathleen Baptiste, 60, said the smell reminded her of ‘fabric softeners.’
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the city’s subways and buses, says this is its first advertising campaign of this kind – part of an effort to increase revenue streams.
To avoid backlash, the agency tested a pilot of aroma-based ads last year in select stations in Queens and Brooklyn, reviewing safety data and rider feedback, according to Mary John, the MTA’s director of commercial ventures.
So far, John says no complaints have been filed.
Jamie Sohosky, Bath & Body Works’ chief marketing officer, said the company selected ‘Fresh Balsam’ for the rollout because it is one of the brand’s most iconic holiday fragrances and a seasonal bestseller.
Grand Central, she added, was the natural choice given the massive foot traffic from riders connecting between trains.
Earlier this month, organisations representing the US travel industry warned of a Thanksgiving travel crisis without a reopening of vital government departments.
Some 500 organisations and companies representing all sectors of the US travel industry have issued a plea to end the country’s government shutdown ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the city’s subways and buses, says this is its first advertising campaign of this kind
Commuter Kathleen Baptiste, 60, said the scent reminded her of ‘fabric softeners’
It comes as thousands of flights are being delayed across the US due to staffing shortages amid the government shutdown, which began on October 1.
More than 13,000 air traffic controllers have been required to work without pay.
The US Travel Association is leading the lobby, warning that the US travel economy has already lost more than $4billion (£3billion) due to the shutdown, with losses continuing to ‘grow significantly with each passing day’, according to Travel Weekly.
The funding debacle stems from Senate Democrats’ opposition to a Republican-authored government funding bill that lacks provisions for Obamacare funding.
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