Hoping to stir up thirst for milk, officials installed advertisements in several San Francisco bus shelters on Monday that give off the scent of freshly baked cookies.

The technology that creates the scent is very similar to that used in magazine ads. Scented adhesives are placed throughout the interior of the bus shelters, including under the benches.

"As long as they are not harmful chemicals, it's OK," one somewhat confused elderly woman said as she pondered the cookie smell in one of the shelters. "They are trying to sell milk? Is that it?"

Link

I understand that we tend to think of milk and cookies going together as a snack for kids. But if i smell cookies, i'm pretty sure it's not going to start a sudden yearning in my heart for milk. I'm even more sure that it's going to make me crave cookies instead. Which adults and teens alike prolly pair most with coffee considering our caffeine addicted society. Or Mt. Dew, depending on what company you keep.

UPDATE: San Francisco MTA has pulled the plug on the ads.

The fragrant billboards, posted at five bus shelters on Monday in an effort by dairy producers to make passengers thirsty for milk, had to come down because the shelters' maintenance contractor had not informed San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials, said an agency spokeswoman. ... The agency also received several complaints from bus riders concerned that the aroma might not be safe, she said ... "It is unfortunate that the MTA has requested the removal of our scented bus shelter ads," the milk board said. "The Got Milk? scented bus shelters were intended to be a tasteful change from the frequent blasts of exhaust that permeate the air around some of San Francisco's bus shelters."

Link

Mmmmmm... vanilla cookies with a bus exhaust-flavored center. My favorite.

I get hungry for some scented adhesives.

I guess that will attract all the hungry homeless people to bus stops and shelters. That's great. Now whenever people in San Francisco think of cookies they will be reminded of the smell of a guy who hasn't showered in two months who's clothes are soaked in his own urine.

Way to go, milk guys!