Feeling nostalgic for ICE cars? Kia offers a car freshener with the scent of gasoline and oil when you buy an electric car
Kia decided to approach electromobility from an unexpectedly emotional angle — a promotional campaign started in Finland, within which buyers of the new Kia EV4 electric car receive a freshener with a scent of gasoline and motor oil. The idea is to draw buyers' attention to the shortcomings of internal combustion engines.
The concept was developed by Astara Auto Finland, Kia's official importer. As explained by marketing director Klaus Pohjala, giving up the internal combustion engine for many drivers is not only a technical change but also an emotional challenge. On Kia Finland's Instagram page, the campaign is presented with humor: "The gasoline-scented freshener helps cope with withdrawal syndrome when switching to electricity".
The fragrance was created by Max Perttula — Finland's only professional perfumer. The composition is based on heavy motor oil and gasoline, complemented by notes of amber, birch tar, galbanum, and jasmine. The latter was added due to its chemical similarity to gasoline — "if the benzene ring were slightly more saturated, gasoline would smell like fruity jasmine," jokes Perttula. The goal is to convey the atmosphere of a real garage, nostalgic but not too off-putting.
The freshener is shaped like a miniature gasoline canister and is available only to EV4 buyers in Finland.
The campaign has sparked mixed reactions on social media: some ridicule the idea, calling it "the smell of cancer in an aromatic tree," while others consider it a clever marketing move. In any case, Kia has achieved its main goal — attracting attention to the EV4 and making people talk about electric cars from a new, emotional perspective.
It should be noted that gasoline is indeed a carcinogen. Gasoline contains the carcinogens tetraethyllead and benzene, whose levels, while strictly regulated, are still present in gasoline. These compounds are incredibly volatile and enter the body through the respiratory system. The most vulnerable organ to their effects is the bladder, where metabolites (metabolites) accumulate in the body, so bladder cancer is considered a professional disease of gas station operators and truck drivers. Thus, this marketing move could potentially lead to serious reputational and financial losses for the company.