Would a rose have that unique, powdery scent if it were blue? Maybe not ...
In the Plos One study, we discovered that indeed, for some individuals, odours are thought of in colours. When asked for their favorite scent, some do not answer "cherry" but "red"... For others, it will be the evocation of blue as a perfume in itself. This is not about synesthesia, which is a neurological disorder that disturbs the senses, but about knowing why and how an individual will visualise an odour through a colour.
A group of international scientists therefore asked volunteers from different countries to smell 14 fragrances and associate them with a colour from a potential choice of 36 proposals.
The results showed evidence regardless of nationality, namely, a fruity scent is systematically associated everywhere with pink or red, while an aromatic scent imposes the colour green in the imagination.
But what is interesting to see is that if we are indeed reassured by a logical association of colours/fragrances, a "strange" combination is spontaneously rejected by consumers who see it as a source of disorder and confusion. It is therefore not surprising that interior decoration has taken an interest in this subject to associate a hue, a smell, shapes, movements and succeed in creating a space where one feels good.
We are talking here about the "decoration of emotions" mentioned by Sophie Mouton-Brisse and the notion of deep well-being when we manage to create a beautiful harmony of our senses. A new brick full of promise in our olfactory marketing projects.