I wrote about Mastercard’s use of colour, taste and sound two years ago (read here) when they launched a new sensory branding strategy. Recently, they added to the sensory mix with a Mastercard smell with the launch of two scents named Passion and Optimism.

Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, talked about how small, “can evoke powerful emotions”. This addition increases the number of brand assets owned by Mastercard and the potential to engage through more customer touchpoints. Smell is arguably the most underutilized of the senses, outside food and drink, and potentially the most potent.

Mastercard are one of the few brands to think beyond the usual focus on visual assets, and this will be to their long-term advantage (especially if they can link all the sensory touchpoints to consisten meanings as I argue in Brand esSense). Other brands need to catch up on the importance of immersive experiences to drive behaviour.