grand central bath body works subway scent.

A person walks past posters promoting the campaign by Bath & Body Works at Grand Central station, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Why does this NYC subway station smell ‘Christmassy’? It’s an ad

A new advertisement inside the Grand Central subway station is filling the air with a seasonal scent. The campaign for Bath & Body Works sees diffusers release visible bursts of vapor onto one platform with a gentle fragrance that riders liken to “pine” and “fabric softeners.” Rider Jerome Murray says it “smells better than the normal New York City tunnels that we normally smell here.” The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says this is the first ad campaign of its kind inside the transit network. Bath & Body Works estimates that 20 to 30 pounds of fragrance will have been dispersed when the campaign ends at the end of November.

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