Giant, 3D jacket potatoes which are warm to touch and let off the scent of a fresh baked potato are appearing at bus shelters as part of the launch of McCain’s Ready Baked Jackets.

The bus shelters will also dispense promotional vouchers enabling consumers to trial McCain’s latest product.

The multi-format Outdoor campaign was booked with JCDecaux by PHD and Hyperspace at Posterscope and will include ten fully-wrapped bus shelters specials, fitted with 2-feet high, fibre-glass potatoes. The creative was by Beattie McGuiness Bungay (BMB).

When consumers press a button on the poster, a hidden heating element will gently warm the potato and release the alluring aroma throughout the bus shelter. JCDecaux Innovate worked with a specialist scent lab for three months to match the scent of the McCain jacket potato.

A voucher dispenser was also developed for the campaign, redeemable in major multiples.

Rebecca Clay, media group manager at PHD says: “PHD has a long heritage of media innovation and we’re delighted to enable McCain to be the first brand to utilise this ground-breaking Outdoor technology. In the chilly month of February, we hope that the warm, fresh-baked smell of jacket potatoes and the first ever bus shelter voucher dispenser will bring a smile to cold faces.”

Spencer Berwin, managing director, sales at JCDecaux says: “McCain is using touch, smell and sight to create a 360 degree experience of ready baked jackets on the street. The voucher dispenser is a media first and is a hugely exciting step for JCDecaux, enabling brands to prompt purchases and interact directly with consumers on the street.”

The Outdoor campaign will target people on the go, with roadside 6-sheets, large format billboards and point-of-sale 6-sheets at Tesco, ASDA, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s. Digital Outdoor will reach commuters with tailored messaging on formats including Transvision screens in train stations.