Manufacturing scents: Unveiling the mediated nature of scent-based communication

Abstract

This article traces the history of commercial attempts to merge olfactory mediated scents with visual media and the ensuing turn toward domestic olfactory mediation. From the earliest attempts at scented cinema to the emergence of consumer-grade odor mediating products as Little Trees and Glade, we conceptualize smell as a neglected site ripe for critical media analysis. We argue that the commercial rise of domestic odor mediating technology, such as air fresheners, facilitate a unique form of nature-based simulation where audiences desire the fake over the real and confuse familiar natural odors.