What did the world smell like in the past? A olfactory journey through history.

In the 14th episode of our podcast "Scent Marketing Talk," Jens and Kessi take you on a very special journey – not with your eyes, but with your nose. Together they discuss how scents have changed over the millennia and what role fragrances played in people's everyday lives even back then.

Because one thing quickly becomes clear in this episode: scent marketing is actually not a modern invention. Long before there were hotels, retail stores, or branded worlds, people used scents deliberately to evoke emotions, demonstrate power, or create specific atmospheres.

The nose as a survival tool

Today, many people only perceive smells peripherally. But in prehistoric times, the sense of smell was vital for survival. People had to be able to smell whether fruits were edible or poisonous, whether dangerous animals were approaching, or whether food had spoiled.

In the podcast, Jens explains that researchers even suspect that Homo sapiens became so successful partly because they had an exceptionally good sense of smell. Our nose was a kind of early warning system back then and crucial for survival.

This shows how deeply smells are still anchored in our brains – an important reason why scents are so effective in modern scent marketing.

Antiquity: When scents were sacred

The episode becomes particularly fascinating when it travels back to antiquity. In ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, fragrances were far more than just pleasant smells. Frankincense, myrrh, and lotus blossoms were considered sacred and used in religious rituals.

Furthermore, intensely scented oils were a true status symbol at the time. Those who could afford rare and elaborate fragrance blends automatically demonstrated power and wealth.

Jens even mentions in the podcast that ancient statues were rubbed with fragrant oils so that the presence of the gods was not only visible but also perceptible by smell.

And this is precisely where we can already see the first signs of what we would call scent marketing today:

Scents were deliberately used to evoke emotions, awe, and atmosphere.

Middle Ages: Between the scent of bread and stench

A particularly fascinating part of the podcast episode is the journey into the Middle Ages. Because while many people today have romantic images of knights' markets or castles in their minds, the reality back then was much more intense.

Narrow alleyways without sewage systems, animals roaming freely in the city centers, open garbage, and a general lack of hygiene created an extreme olfactory landscape. In the podcast, Jens vividly describes what medieval markets must have smelled like:

smells of horse manure, smoke, leather, open fish stalls, and damp wood.

At the same time, there were also positive smells:

• fresh bread from stone ovens

• Herbs

• Spices

• grilled meat

• Beer and mead

This mixture of pleasant and unpleasant smells made each city a completely unique olfactory world.

The church as the first “fragrance oasis”

While chaos and foul odors often reigned outside, churches were considered veritable oases of fragrance. Incense played a central role, intended not only to symbolize holiness but also to mask unpleasant smells.

Interestingly, even back then, scents were used deliberately to influence feelings and perceptions. People automatically associated certain smells with purity, spirituality, or reverence.

It is precisely this emotional effect that makes scent marketing so valuable even today.

Baroque: Perfume as a olfactory disguise

Things get particularly curious when they talk about the Baroque period. In the podcast episode, Jens and Kessi discuss how many people at the time believed that water could make you sick. Bathing was therefore often avoided.

The result:

People simply masked bad smells with huge amounts of perfume.

Heavy fragrances like musk, amber, or jasmine were used by the liter. Perfume at that time was less of a luxury and more of an olfactory disguise.

Jens vividly describes what the magnificent royal courts of Europe must have smelled like – behind luxurious clothes and elegant wigs, massive hygiene problems were often hidden.

The birth of modern perfumes

With the Enlightenment, thinking slowly changed again. Hygiene became more important, and modern perfumery continued to develop.

The French city of Grasse, in particular, became a center of perfumery. New methods for producing essential oils were developed there, and later, the first modern perfumes were created.

The Industrial Revolution and synthetic fragrances finally made perfumes affordable for many people. Famous classics like Chanel No. 5 and CK One shaped entire generations.

In the podcast, Jens and Kessi discuss how strongly scents are still linked to emotions, memories, and personality.

What does the modern world smell like?

Even modern cities have their own unique smells. While they smell considerably more hygienic today than in the past, certain scents still remain:

• hot asphalt

• Coffee

• perfume

• Car exhaust fumes

• Fast food

• freshly cut grass

• public transportation

our perception of places and cities.

The podcast makes it clear that smells constantly influence our subconscious – even when we don't consciously perceive them.

Scent marketing: An age-old idea implemented in a modern way

At the end of the episode, Jens and Kessi bring the discussion full circle to modern scent marketing.

Because the idea is actually not new at all:

Even the Romans scented public places.

Temples were filled with incense.

Kings surrounded themselves with precious fragrances.

Today, scientific findings on how scents can influence emotions and behavior are being utilized. This is precisely why scent marketing is playing an increasingly important role in hotels, spas, car dealerships, retail stores, and medical practices.

Fragrances can:

• Improve well-being

• Activate reminders

• Emotionally charge brands

• Extending stays

• Make rooms appear more sophisticated

And that is precisely why the topic of fragrance remains so fascinating to this day.

Conclusion: Fragrances tell a story

Episode 14 of "Scent Marketing Talk" impressively demonstrates that scents have accompanied humankind for millennia. From prehistoric times to the modern world of fragrance, scents have always been an expression of emotions, culture, power, and memory.

Or, as Jens explains in the podcast:

Smells are time machines for our brain.

And that is precisely why scent marketing will continue to play an increasingly important role in the future.