Billboard emits smell of cooking steak

MOORESVILLE, N.C., June 3 (UPI) -- A North Carolina grocery store's highway billboard for a new line of beef is drawing the attention of commuters by radiating the smell of grilling steak.

The Mooresville billboard for Bloom grocery stores is wafting the scent of steak along River Highway, using a system created by ScentAir of Charlotte, N.C., The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.

Bloom spokeswoman Christy Phillips-Brown said the sign is scheduled to emit the scent every day from 7 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. until June 18.

ScentAir marketing director Murray Dameron said the project represents the first roadside advertisement for the custom-scent company, which has designed fragrances and delivery systems for facilities including casinos and hotel lobbies. He said the steak smell is created using a high-powered fan that blows air over cartridges containing fragrance oil.

"It's basically a blend of black pepper and kind of a charcoal grilling smell," Dameron said. "It smells like grilled meat with a nice pepper rub on it."