Giant interactive billboard lets Londoners scent Subway’s new festive bread
Subway has unveiled a 15-metre scratch-and-sniff interactive billboard in London, which allows people to smell the unique aroma of the brand’s new stuffing-topped bread
Fast food behemoth Subway has pulled the wraps off a whopping 15-metre billboard, inspired by its new sage and onion stuffing-laden bread, leaving London commuters and Christmas shoppers gobsmacked.
The quirky ad, nestled in the heart of Blackfriars, central London, tempts passers-by with the tantalising scent of the brand’s festive menu newcomer.
This sensory spectacle comes hot on the heels of research showing a hefty 77% of Brits rank stuffing as one of their top Yuletide smells.
Christmas trees are nipping at its heels in second place (50%), with roast turkey and cinnamon (both 39%) rounding out the trio of most-loved festive fragrances.
Over half (54%) of Brits reckon that the right scents are key to conjuring up that Christmas magic, and nearly half (49%) say these nostalgic aromas whisk them back to their childhood.
Other seasonal sniffables that get us in the holiday spirit include mulled wine (23%), mince pies (18%), and the crackle of an open fire (18%).
The study also revealed that almost half (49%) of Brits crown stuffing as the king of the Christmas dinner table.
A whopping 92% plan to tuck into this tasty side dish as part of their festive feast this year, with 59% of Brits deeming it a culinary crime to leave it off the Christmas spread.
While over a third (37%) of Brits say the smells of the season are their favourite thing about Christmas, there are some less welcome whiffs they’d rather avoid, including Brussels sprouts (25%) and synthetic ‘holiday’ air fresheners (19%).
Subway has launched the interactive scented billboard at 50-60 Blackfriars Road, allowing passers-by to scratch, sniff and savour the aroma of their new limited-edition stuffing-topped bread. The unique advertising experience will be available until Friday 12th December.
Kirstey Elston, EMEA Senior Marketing Director at Subway, said: “At Subway we’re famous for the unmistakable aroma of our freshly baked breads.”
She added that this year’s festive edition, topped with sage and onion stuffing, takes the scent to a whole new seasonal level.
Elston continued: “We all look forward to those familiar festive smells, so we thought ‘why not bring one of the nation’s favourites to the streets and add some joy to Londoners’ commutes in the lead-up to Christmas?'” She concluded by saying: “If you think it smells good, we guarantee it tastes even better.”
In addition to this aromatic innovation, Subway recently unveiled its festive menu for 2025, which includes the Ultimate Festive Sub and Ultimate Festive Spud.
