What precisely is the sweet smell of success?
WHAT does success smell like? “The sweet smell of success” is one of those cliches that often leaves you wondering if indeed there is a particular odour relating to triumph. Does success smell like the interior of a hand-crafted Rolls-Royce? Does it smell like a freshly popped bottle of Krug? Lynx Africa?
Well, the folks at comms group Creston have put some scientists onto the job. They recruited a 200-strong panel of noses, presented them with a range of smells and asked which ones were reminiscent of successful men and women in business.
Somewhat surprisingly, a smell usually associated with joss sticks was the standout smell of success, patchouli. There was a caveat though: the smell has to be blended with another smell. For men, it’s sandalwood or spicy black pepper. For the ladies, if patchouli is mixed with tropical fruits or floral scents, it’s the smell of success.
The olfactory specialists also pin-pointed some “least success-inspiring scents.” If you smell of pencils, this is apparently a sign of failure.
Who rubs themselves with 4B pencils anyway? And why? Just because it’s not a Montblanc pen? We’re tempted to go and create l’eau de Faber-Castell in spite. We’ll let you know how it goes.