Aromaprime Themed Scents Joins Theme Park Insanity For A Chat!
Here at Theme Park Insanity it’s become no secret that we absolutely love an overall package experience, and when it comes to creating such an experience you can always guarantee that there will have been one industry leading name who will have had their input in bringing it to life in a truly unique way – and that’s AromaPrime!
Over the years AromaPrime have had official input into some of the biggest events in the theme park and attractions industry’s calendar including Thorpe Park Fright Nights, Alton Towers Scarefest and many more besides, however given the fact we are huge fans of their work we were desperate to learn more about who AromaPrime really are and what leads them to create some of the most immersive themed products out there to date!
We were therefore absolutely thrilled when we were recently given a real one off opportunity to sit down with the company’s head of marketing – Liam Findlay who helped shed some light on just what AromaPrime are all about and how they contribute far more than just themed scents to an ever expanding range of clients!
Here’s what Liam had to tell us!
How did Aromaprime Themed Scents come to exist and where did the company start?
AromaPrime was originally called Dale Air, an air freshener company founded by Fred Dale. It was the first company in the world to exclusively create smells for attractions, which it started to do in the 1980s. With that, 2020 is our 40th anniversary!
What was the main inspiration behind the product?
We have numerous products, including over 400 scents and a variety of specialist diffusers, all designed for particular uses, whether they be theme parks, museums, hotels, shops, care homes, restaurants, escape rooms, scare mazes or even schools.
How did the company become the leading scent based themeing provider to the entertainment and attractions industry?
AromaPrime was the first to pioneer themed scents for attractions, making us the core specialists among other scent companies, who tend to only create standard, pleasant aromas. That said, AromaPrime has a huge range of pleasant aromas, alongside our themed scents!
Who do you tend to find are you primary client base?
Our customers are from a vast range of sectors, but theme park and museum projects are perhaps what we are most well-known for!
It has become clear that as a company you have worked with some big names within the UK theme park industry, however out of all of the park's you have worked with to date who would you say you have worked with the most and why?
It would be very difficult to find out which attraction we have worked with the most, because we work with so many, so frequently. We always look forward to Halloween in particular, because this is when scare maze creators begin to gather pongs for their experiences. We had lots of fun creating odors for Thorpe Park’s and Alton Towers’ scare attractions last Halloween, and we hope that it is safe for these events to go ahead again in 2020.
It became apparent to us recently that you can also produce tailor made scents when no other scent will work, therefore out of all the requests you have dealt with which would you say has been your strangest?
Considering that our stock includes Otter Poo, Penguin Sick and Sweaty Feet, it would be a challenge for us to name a custom request that we found particularly strange. We have even created the smell of The Beginning of Time!
Which scents would you say are your best sellers and why?
Cut Grass smells incredibly well, because it is a familiar scent enjoyed by many, but also not the kind that is commonly available to buy. Musty is also popular, as it works incredibly well in so many kinds of attractions – you may recognise it from Alton Towers’ Hex and Duel. Naturally, Woodsmoke, the scent for Alton Towers’ Wicker Man, is beloved by theme park fans, as it allows them to transport themselves back to the fantastic ride!
When it comes to Halloween events it's clear that a lot of your scents are used throughout some of the biggest horror mazes in the UK, however how would you say that the use of your product helps to add to what will already be a terrifying experience?
Because our smell receptors are connected to the part of the brain which processes memories and emotions, scent triggers incredibly visceral reactions in people’s minds. When the lights are low, and you can’t hear anything over the frightening sound effects, your nose becomes one of your dominant senses, and smells can infiltrate that opportunity and mess with your mind!
Which client request would you say has been the most fun to work on during your time with Aromaprime?
One of the most enjoyable projects was with AQUILA children’s magazine, when the young readers suggested their own smell ideas. These included a witch’s cottage, the black death, clouds, and as mentioned earlier, the beginning of time.
How do you find the theme park enthusiast community have reacted as a whole to Aromaprime as a company and the product overall?
We are immensely grateful for the support and interest shown by theme park enthusiasts around the world!
We recently became aware that not only does Aromaprime supply their product to the attractions industry but you also provide smell pods and other products to the likes of nursing homes too! How would you therefore say that your product contributes to this sector and why?
Because of smell’s connection to memories, nostalgic aromas like Coal Fire, Carbolic Soap and Pear Drops are used to trigger memories in elderly people and those with dementia. This can bring great comfort and encourage conversation among residents.
The response you received from the enthusiast community regarding the Thorpe Park Fright Nights range seems to have been really positive indeed, therefore is there a possibility we could see a similar range for Alton Towers Scarefest in the not too distant future?
We are always in talks with numerous attractions about ways we can make their aromas more accessible to fans. Stay tuned!
Who would you say has been your biggest client during your time with the company to date?
We have worked with the likes of the Natural History Museum, Sea Life, National Trust, Legoland, English Heritage, Madame Tussauds, Chessington, Historic Royal Palaces, Alton Towers, The Dungeons and Thorpe Park – some are also top secret too, so you can decide for yourself who might be the biggest!
Finally how you see Aromaprime developing in the years to come? Are there any new and exciting products on the way?
AromaPrime is constantly improving its scents for more realism. We have also recently upgraded our standard machines, and we are working on a DMX model which will be able to use multiple aromas at once. It is in our interests to ensure that we are always providing new, up-to-date scent solutions for our customers.
We have absolutely loved having this fantastic opportunity to sit down with Liam and can’t thank him enough for taking the time to share this amazing insight with us! We really hope you have enjoyed getting the inside track on who this amazing company are and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for AromaPrime in the years to come!!
In the meantime however, if you would like to find out more about what other unique and exciting products this company offer then you can find a direct link to the company’s official site by clicking on the image below!
Thanks again Liam for this fantastic opportunity!