London commuters got a whiff of something unexpected this week — and it wasn’t just the usual Tube funk.
Ice-cream giant Magnum has rolled out a “multi-sensory” ad campaign in a tunnel linking St Pancras railway station and the King’s Cross St Pancras Tube stop, pumping out the smell of chocolate to lure hungry travelers.
Some riders were sweet on the idea — but many others said the aroma wasn’t exactly mixing well with the station’s existing scent profile, sparking concerns from passengers and staff, the BBC reported.
The stunt debuted Monday and was designed to recreate the sensation of biting into one of Magnum’s chocolate-coated ice cream bars — complete with the scent of chocolate wafting through the passageway and a crackling sound effect meant to mimic the snap of the shell.
But commuting critics said the results were less Willy Wonka — and more weird science.
One rider told BBC London he appreciated the creative thinking — just not the execution.
He said: “I work in advertising and marketing, and I really admire the idea but I’m not sure they accounted for some of the other odours that might be in this enclosed tunnel.
“The combination of the smell of urine and the chocolate isn’t doing it for me.”
Another part of the ad — a sharp cracking sound meant to evoke biting into chocolate ice cream — also missed the mark for some passersby.
One commuter said: “It sounded more like something tumbling out of a vending machine.”
Not everyone is turning their noses up at the stunt. Some riders reportedly said they liked the idea and thought it added a bit of fun to their daily commute.
Behind the scenes, however, some station staff say the smell has drifted into places it probably shouldn’t.
Transport for London (TfL) workers based at the Tube station have complained to the management of St Pancras station because the smell has been entering their break room.
Magnum insisted the campaign is meant to add a moment of indulgence to the daily grind.
A spokesperson for Magnum Ice Cream Company told the outlet that the stunt is meant to recreate the experience of eating the chocolate-covered treat through “sight, sound and scent” and give commuters a quick moment of enjoyment during their trip.
The company added that it has received mostly positive feedback since the campaign launched March 9 and will “continue to optimize the campaign” before it wraps up on March 22.
“Our intention remains for our campaigns to be engaging and enjoyable,” the spokesperson noted.
Officials say they’ve already tweaked the rollout after feedback.
London St Pancras Highspeed, which owns the station, said the timing and frequency of the scent release has been adjusted, while a TfL spokesperson confirmed they are aware of the issue.
Until the campaign wraps later this month, commuters passing through the busy tunnel may want to prepare their noses — because the scent of chocolate isn’t the only thing in the air underground.
As previously reported by The Post, commuters in New York have their own gripes about ads invading the daily grind — though in the Big Apple, it’s the ears being assaulted rather than the nose.
The MTA recently began testing a pilot program blasting 30-second audio commercials into select subway and commuter rail stations — sometimes as often as every 10 minutes — leaving many riders less than thrilled.
“It’s like, sometimes you just want people to leave you alone,” Dominick Piervinanzi, 17, who rides the 7 and A trains to get to his restaurant jobs, previously told The Post.
The so-called “Station Audio Advertisements” pilot blasts spots at roughly 75 decibels, turning once-quiet platforms into what some riders say feels like a nonstop commercial break.
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