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Yes, McDonald’s has a billboard that smells like French fries. But here’s where you have to go to get a whiff

Unbranded billboards located near Amsterdam McDonald’s locations

FILE - The sign outside a McDonald's restaurant is shown in Pittsburgh, June 25, 2019. A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule by the National Labor Relations Board that would have made it easier for millions of workers to form unions at big companies.The rule, which was due to go into effect Monday, March 11, 2024, would have set new standards for determining when two companies should be considered joint employers in labor negotiations. Under the current NLRB rule, which was passed by a Republican-dominated board in 2020, a company like McDonalds isnt considered a joint employer of most of its workers since they are directly employed by franchisees. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) (Gene J. Puskar, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Ah, the smell of McDonald’s french fries. It’s as iconic as the Golden Arches.

In Amsterdam, an advertising agency is testing to see just how well the smell of McDonald’s french fries will drive up sales.

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And it’s being done with blank red and yellow billboards.

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According to AdWeek, TBWA\Neboko teamed up with production company Raúl&Rigel for the McDonald’s scent marketing idea. The billboards have hidden compartments to store fries. A heat and ventilation system intensifies the smell and then directs it towards passersby.

It appears the on-site experiment, which was filmed for YouTube and described as “the world’s first billboard that smells like McDonald’s fries”, appears to have been effective. When interviewed, most of the bystanders who came across the billboard said they immediately recognized the famous fry smell.

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All of the billboards were placed roughly a 10th of a mile from an actual McDonald’s, conveniently within walking distance for those wanting to satisfy those fry cravings.

French fries are one of the fast food chain’s best-selling menu items. According to the financial data site Zippia, a whopping 9 million pounds of fries are sold every single day, both individually and along with their value meals.

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