So here’s a tale from four years back: while living in San Francisco, I used to receive Cosmopolitan magazines at my studio every month, even though I never subscribed. It wasn’t really my thing, but since it came with my name on it, I assumed it was meant for me. I ended up stacking them as makeshift hot pads. Sorry, fabulous cover models! 😅
One day, I opened my mailbox to find another hot pad, and guess who was on the cover? Gwen Stefani! 🎤 She was one of my favorite singers, and I used to be obsessed with ‘Harajuku Girls.’ With a heart full of fangirl excitement, I flipped through the pages, and to my surprise, Cosmopolitan had some pretty cool articles. Somewhere in the middle, I got lost in an ad for Candie’s featuring Sarah Hyland from Modern Family in a stunning shirt. I ended up holding onto that magazine way longer than I expected, until I stumbled on a Polo ad. It was a rather plain ad, just a big perfume photo, but strangely, one corner was folded. Just like you can’t resist kicking a can on the street, I found myself tearing that folded part without even thinking.
‘Huh. What’s this? Just the price list?’
And then, a sweet scent enveloped me. Wow, clever! 🌸 It was like they brought the 3D experience of sniffing perfumes at a department store straight to the 2D pages of a magazine, breaking all physical limits.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I hit the internet, eager to know who came up with this genius idea. Turns out, it’s been patented and in use for quite a while. There are so many brilliant minds out there! 🧠💡
Flipping through the magazine, I noticed that brands like Calvin Klein, Missoni, and Juicy Couture were using the same technique. Maybe it’s not so cutting-edge anymore? I kept opening a few more ad corners, sniffing away, until my head felt dizzy and my nose went numb. Perhaps they should limit the number of these ads? People who are curious yet sensitive to scents might end up tossing the magazine aside. To keep magazines alive—especially since the print business isn’t thriving these days—they might need to come up with a way to prevent readers from getting frustrated.
Now that I think about it, even with a tingling nose, I never tossed the magazine. Maybe it was because Sarah Hyland looked absolutely gorgeous… Ah…! 😍
Cosmopolitan! Were you planning this all along?
Once again, I’m reminded of how many amazing people are out there. On a side note, let’s hope terrorists don’t use this method to spread nerve gas.
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