From Singapore, personalized fragrances help dementia sufferers to remember

Certain scents have the Proustian power to bring back vivid memories, a fact that was taken advantage of by the Scent of Departure range of perfumes, designed to capture the smell of individual cities. Based on this premise, Smell a Memory personalized fragrance kits now aim to act as memory prompts for Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers. Working with Singapore-based perfume manufacturer Givaudan, creative agency JWT custom-created a box containing several fragrances that would have personal resonance with patients based on their family history, ethnicity, age and personal stories. The team went to nursing homes in Singapore before creating the perfumes, which were given names such as Bedtime Stories, Mom’s Cooking, Prayer and School Days. It was found that the scents had the power to spark memories and emotions from their past, and was able to create uplifting moods and bring some patients out of themselves for a time. JWT now aims to bring the kits to two of Singapore’s largest hospitals as a therapy service for elderly patients with conditions such as dementia. How else can smells be used to enhance the emotional impact of other projects?