The human brain responds differently to external stimuli. For example, when the mind interacts with music, it releases dopamine. We have the same reaction when we are exposed to a spa treatment: Besides endorphins, the brain releases serotonin and dopamine. If connected to high-tech equipment, we can actually see how the brain behaves around these factors. While exposed to music, the brain is a bit more agitated (in a positive way), whilst during a massage, it becomes calmer. Nevertheless, the visual response to the two stimuli is similar: A vivid explosion of colors. Or, in other words, we are witnessing a psychedelic adventure, purely generated by our minds.
Tactile sense? Check!
Hearing? Check!
What next?
There are still three senses left, which can be analyzed anytime to see how they influence the general condition of the brain. Havas London and Air Wick decided to tackle the olfactory sense to find out how this affects people’s moods. Working with a leading neuroscientist, the partners launched “Brains in Bloom,” the brand’s latest campaign promoting Air Wick’s aromatherapy-at-home range, Essential Mist.
The ad uses CGI to visualize “how calm feels,” dramatizing the remarkable effects scents can have on our emotions and feelings. The centerpiece of the campaign is a 30-second-long video, in which viewers are introduced to a world that triggers its splendors when exposed to odor. The whole action, set to Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers, takes place inside the steam created by the Air Wick device and shows how the brain evolves, from a “cell” to its final shape. This basic unit of life is first represented by a stem of a flower, which gradually expands to give rise to buds that finally bloom in a bouquet of pink flowers.
Chris Dunne, Category Manager at RB says: “In a world where we are under increasing pressure to be ‘always-on,’ looking after our wellbeing is more important than ever. With people spending more time at home, Air Wick Essential Mist offers the mood-enhancing benefits of essential oils in a way that’s accessible to all — without the faff or the high price point.”
Rosie Bird Smith, Creative at Havas London adds: “Metaphors for scent in advertising are an antiquated trope, so instead of merely telling the audience how scent can affect us, we wanted to actually show them. For the first time, we wanted to show the public the ‘brain in bloom’ — a visual interpretation of the power of scent. By working with a renowned neurologist and talented CGI artists, we combined art with science and have ended up with something rather beautiful.”
The film was carefully executed by Rosie May Bird Smith and Lyndarn Harrison, and creatively directed by Elliot Harris at Havas London. To bring the spot to life, the London-based agency also collaborated with creative production studio Mainframe, known for its transfixing CGI creations for the likes of the Virgin Media, Channel 5, and the BBC. For the latter, the studio created some of its most recent BBC2 idents.
Credits:
Client: Air Wick
Agency: Havas London