Air Sense News

The technology of Odorama-style scratch-n-sniff has definitely grown by leaps and bounds. New Hampshire-based printing company Concord Litho recently won an award for advertising printed with “scented varnish.” The award-winning magazine insert, which appeared in TV Guide, was a companion card for a special “Laugh ‘n Sniff” episode of NBC comedy show “My Name is Earl.” The card featured fragrances that were released when rubbed, including scents of clean laundry, Oreo, cinnamon buns, buttered popcorn, “new car smell,” and stinky men’s cologne. The scents were delivered using “scented varnish,” non-toxic inks that contained scented oils produced by Scentisphere. According to Concord Litho, the scented varnish is superior to previous incarnations of scratch-n-sniff because it remains dormant until it’s intentionally activated by rubbing it, and can be reactivated over and over. The award, in the category of heat-set web printing, was given by the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen (IAPHC), an international trade association for the printing and graphic arts industry.

Incidentally, folks interested in learning more about printing with scented varnish should check out Concord Litho’s web site for their “Printing with Scented Varnish Idea Kit,” as well as their Scented Varnish Gallery.

Further details:

• The award announcement
• My Name is Earl insert details