Domino's Brazil Makes DVDs Smell Like Pizza

In an attempt to whet more appetites for pizza, Domino's Brazil is testing a new technology that makes DVDs smell like pizza when they get hot.

For the promotion, Domino's teamed up with 10 video rental stores in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and seeded their racks with special copies of newly released movies on discs that had been treated with thermal ink. The DVDs look normal at first, but they warm up when they spin in the DVD player, and the heat activates the ink. When the disc is ejected, the smell of hot pizza fills the room and the top of the DVD has changed to look like a pepperoni pizza.

"Did you enjoy the movie?" the new disc says. "The next one will be even better with a hot and delicious Domino's Pizza."

Admittedly, that seems more likely to make people think, "Man, I wish I'd ordered a pizza three hours ago. That would have been great." But with any luck, the image will stick in people's heads for the next time.

Video and DVD rental stores seem like a bit of a dinosaur these days, and not exactly places one would expect to see promotions that hinge on new technology. But according to AdAge, the rental situation is different in Brazil.

"In Brazil streaming services like Netflix and iTunes are relatively new, and for people with good social conditions," said art director Diogo Barbosa in an interview with AdAge. "Also our broadband connection isn't as fast as that used in the U.S., and because of that we still have video rental stores in your neighborhoods."