Visitors to the sports section over at The Onion may have thought they were part of an exciting technological experiment this week: a banner ad invited them to check out the world’s first scratch and sniff banner ad. Unfortunately, that dream is as illusory as that of getting a cash reward from Bill Gates for forwarding an e-mail or getting a free iPod for punching an animated monkey.

Site visitors can click the ad and then smell a sample of Old Spice’s new Wolfthorn scent. The technological flaw is that there’s a delay. Because you have to give Old Spice your mailing address, and then they have to send the scented “banner ad” to you. Now you have to wait several days for the “sniff” part of this transaction, and they have your address. Not fair.

Whatever. No Isaiah Mustafa, I don’t pay attention, Old Spice.

Scratch & Sniff Banner Ad [Old Spice] (via DesignTaxi)

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