Thanks to the likes of Hermann von Helmholtz we know we can’t believe our eyes, but
what about our nostrils? Surely they’re on the level? I mean, no one would ever go out of
their way to make something smell of something it doesn’t naturally smell of, would they?
Actually, they would. Liam Findlay is an attractions consultant at AromaPrime, a
company that has been making places smell weird since the 1980s.
Polly: What exactly does your job
entail?
Liam: I work with attractions – theme
parks, museums, castles, aquariums and
other places you might visit on a day
out. I show them how to use smells in
the most exciting and effective ways.
Some of our past customers include
Alton Towers, Sea Life aquariums, the
Natural History Museum, The
Dungeons, English Heritage, Jorvik
Viking Centre and Madame Tussauds.
FUN FACT TRUMPET:
Did you know that, even though a
sound can wake you up, you can not
smell in your sleep! (Speak for
yourself, I totally smell when
I’m asleep. Sometimes I
positively reek! Ed)
Polly: How did you become a… that?
Liam: The company I work for has been
making themed smells since the eighties.
One of their first projects was designing
odours for a historical attraction in my
hometown of Weymouth. It was called
Weymouth Timewalk. Visitors could walk
through the town’s past, smelling
rat-infested ships, the black death
(brilliant, ed) , and the glorious seaside
air. Smell has an incredible way of
sticking in your memory. I
remembered those aromas as I grew
up, even after the Timewalk closed. I
became a designer for themed
attractions and so I got in touch and
asked if I could help out in any way.
That’s how it started.
Polly: What do you think scent can
add to a museum experience?
Liam: More than anything, smell is a
master storyteller. Damp odours in a
dark space can make you feel
claustrophobic as you start to imagine
narrow tunnels. Metallic smells can
immerse you in an alien world as you
board a spaceship ride at a theme
park. Strong whiffs of medicine and
body parts can bring history to life as
you learn about an old hospital!
Because of how it directly interacts
with your brain, smell is powerful fuel
for your imagination!