Flight of fantasy: An e_Scape for air passengers

London – Designers Leslie Borg and Anita Silva have created _Scape, a conceptual object for Icelandair that aims to turn a commercial flight into a more sentimental, sensorial experience.

On boarding an Icelandair flight, each passenger is handed a vacuum-packed object. When opened, the package releases the scent of vetiver, a root often found in Iceland’s lava fields. Inside is a soft, layered object, shaped like a volcanic rock.

As passengers explore the layers, they discover a small mp3 device, which, once switched on, makes the object vibrate and emit tranquil sounds.

‘The user can then form the object into any shape, then rest their head on it and relax,’ Borg tells LS:N Global. ‘The object can become a sound pillow or even be worn as headphones.’

For more on why consumers are seeking escapism, read our New Sublimity macrotrend.