How fancy is your sense of smell? I got to witness Suave (courtesy of PR) hilariously prank unsuspecting locals with their body wash scents in Austin, Texas under the guise of an unbranded fancy art installation that tested just that. It was called “Under Your Nose: An Exhibit of Scent,” which promised to give visitors an unforgettable olfactory experience and they delivered.
Guests were lured via the internet and plucked off the street to visit the temporary space. Once they arrived they had to sign waivers and get mic’d up because a “documentary” of the exhibit was being filmed. Despite all of the staff and buzz around the venue, the Mexican-American family I got to follow did not seem to suspect that they were being set up at all.
The moment you stepped into the gallery you felt like you were in a futuristic scene straight out of HBO’s Westworld. Plastic orbs were set up in black frames spread out throughout the space that contained the scents we would be enjoying. We were greeted by an elegant hostess in a black dress, which completely set the tone of what appeared to be a luxurious experience.
With a glass of coffee beans in hand to cleanse our noses, we went from station to station, taking in the special scents with names like “Kyoto in Reflection” and “Ascendance in Gold.” Pressing a button found in each orb dispersed each fragrance, which were actually from popular Suave Body Wash options like Ocean Breeze and Wild Cherry Blossom.
Guests were asked to describe what they were smelling and some went all out, really painting a picture of where the aroma took them. A vacation was a go-to since Suave has many tropical-inspired scents. This all went down while a camera crew recorded the whole thing in plain sight.
After everyone was done with all of the stations and asked questions like which one was their favorite, they were taken behind a curtained area in the space to “meet the artist,” and the big reveal was made.
A beautiful display lined with Suave Body Wash awaited the unsuspecting visitors. I was snuck into the area first and got to see the surprised look on the family I followed when they realized they had been duped. It turned out that they actually used Suave at home. “I told you it was coconut! That’s what I use,” Ricardo Valenzuela, the man in the group I was with, said. What a coincidence!
I got a chance to talk to the family and seeing Suave on the other side of the curtain was a genuine surprise. Cathy Valenzuela, Ricardo’s wife, was more focused on how someone would try to sell such a unique piece of art but she did pick up on a bit of soapiness in the scents. We had a good laugh. Hindsight is 20/20. One thing’s for sure, Suave Body Wash left a permanent impression on us all.
See how other people responded to the experience in the video below:
