New car smell has long been an attractive selling point for luxury coupes and sedan, but BMW Canada is now using it to sell financial products too.

To promote BMW Financial Services, Cundari, its Canadian agency of record, has produced an autoshow handout card similar to the perfume ads common in many magazines.

Featuring a close-up glamour shot of a woman, copy for the ad reads, "Joy is an exciting new fragrance from BMW."

"Joy" is the brand's global platform.

Consumers can open a fold-over tab on the right side of the ad that releases the smell of leather thanks to a scent product from New York-based scent marketing company Scentisphere.

BMW Financial Services competes against banks for consumers looking to finance auto purchases.

It was important for the ad to be "visceral" because financing isn't as interesting a topic to car show visitors as new engines or designs, said Brent Choi, chief creative officer at Cundari.

"They're not as interested in purchase options, but we wanted to continue the BMW allure and excitement," despite the unglamorous nature of the product.

The scent ad appeared on the floor of last week's Montreal International Autoshow and will be distributed at the Toronto International Autoshow in February, and again at the Vancouver International Autoshow in March.