Hot Stuff: Smells Like Faux Cookies
Busses of all sorts have us in a tizzy these days. Got Milk? With our MUNI wait? That seems so 1993 and wrong! When we think of the smells of baked cookies, we feel a combo of anticipation, hunger, happiness, and youthful delight. Of course, that's assuming the doughy, chocolatey smells come from a real kitchen (preferably our own) and are not competing with cigarette smoke, exhaust fumes, urine, barf, or rancid food. These are all smells we are used to avoiding at the bus shelter. We love cookies but the
real dealio, please! Not some faux smell strip mounted on a bus shelter in Union Square, Financial District and (S)Nob Hill, hoods targeted for an upcoming ill conceived ad campaign. We don't think the ad agency responsible for an upcoming MUNI smells-like-a-cookie-not-really-but-sort-of campaign really street tested this silly, lame concept. RL Public Relations is based in Santa Monica and New York City. Santa Monica in particular is a far cry from San Francisco because it is primarily an urban beach community thought of as a wealthy area known for its shops, silicone, and beach views.
Have the agency folks ever tried waiting for a 14 Mission or 45 Union bus, or even done that routine lately? Itís never, ever about comfort, but maybe thatís the ad folks point. Perhaps their line of thinking is that people are hungry while they wait to go home or to work, (or even better, shopping!) so letís give them a sensory memory to drive up milk sales? In the City's bus shelters, there are usually only three hard seats available-- if any at all-- and the seats flip our butt out as soon as we move. We arenít the only ones who find these seats to be highly uncomfortable. Weíve witnessed folks of all sizes and ages (including our relatives on a recent visit) scooting and frowning as they sit. The bus shelters get especially crowded if itís raining, but thatís about the only time we feel like crowding in one and checking out the graffiti, scratched surfaces, gum and trash on the streets, along with errant cigarette butts. Sure, folks may be open to relaxing a little while they mull their MUNI woes, but aromatherapy sponsored by the California Milk Processor Board is probably not going to comfort us just yet.
SFist Mary Ladd contributing