How the power of sight and smell rocked at Coca-Cola

Kingly creates scent-infused socks to match aroma and corporate brand identity.

The idea for the scented socks goes back to 2014, when Rob Armour, the MD of Kingly experimented with textile essencing for socks. “At that time the idea that a sock could be impregnated with any essence was brilliant – it still is – but back then there were still challenges to overcome. The essence wasn’t always perfectly matched to a well-known smell and the sock itself would be washed once and the essence would disappear forever”.

Ideas become reality

Fast forward to 2018: improvements have changed production methods and capabilities.  Amazing innovation has made the impossible possible.

The strength of the essence can be manipulated. Some customers prefer an ever-so-slight hint of an essence, whilst others like stronger ‘flavor’. The textile essences are now a perfect match for the original chosen aroma. The number of essences is limitless: our lab technician can match any smell. Some of the already well-established favorites are Mojito, Chocolate, Honey, Milk and Strawberries and cream – to name just a few.

Pioneering technology adds value

 Kingly is a pioneer in the development of textile essencing and the whole point of it is to be empower our customers to be extraordinary. With Kingly textile essences we have added a whole new level of value: you can be different, fun and creative. Adding essence adds a touch of extravagance and a subtle note of aromatherapy. Adding essence puts our socks, and yours, head and shoulders (or should that be ankles and toes?) above the competition!

Open the packet: it’s an amazing and memorable first impression.

Here’s how this all works. The socks are knitted at Kingly’s machine park in Sofia, Bulgaria. Once knitted, the socks go through an eco-friendly steaming process so the essence infuses into the cotton, right into every fiber. The socks are then boarded into shape.

The aroma of scent-infused socks will last between 4 and 8 washes, but this all depends on how you wash the socks. It’s recommended that you hand wash the socks in warm water (or on a delicate cycle) and of course with unscented detergent.

However, for the promotional merchandise market it’s the first smell that counts at a giveaway, trade show or any event. Not only will customers love the sock designs and high-quality knitting – to finish it off, there will be your chosen essence for a pleasant, amusing and very memorable surprise!

More than a smelly sock!

The best part? The ingredients used in our textile essencing are paraben and phthalate-free, and based on natural ingredients.  There is no reaction to the skin as the process is performed with care at Kingly’ s Bulgarian GMP compliant factory and backed up through our extensive ISO certifications.  Our unique formulas are tried and tested and the final result is one of shock and awe in the hands of customers.

A great idea that really works

But let’s take this one step further and explain how best this works with a past successful campaign. This time, with

Coca-Cola. Yes, the iconic drinks brand!

We knitted a sock order with the Coca Cola logo for an agency reseller in Europe. We added the textile scent “Coca-Cola”. The result? A pair of socks that’s Coca-Cola branded and has the Coca Cola essence. So, it looks like Coca-Cola and smells like Coca-Cola. There is nothing better than this for a promotional event – adding sight and smell to raise the effectiveness of a promotional campaign.

And it did just that. Customers were overwhelmed by these innovative promotional giveaways. They thought it was a pair of branded socks but hey, smelling of Coca-Cola? How cool is that!

Equally important, the scented socks made the event truly memorable. Long after it was over those customers will always be reminded how a brand went one step further by adding the magic touch of textile essencing!

The key take away

 Dare to be different. Add excitement to a promotional campaign and engage customers in a way they will never forget. And finally, it really does enhance the value of a brand.