TRAVEL RETAIL HIGHLIGHTS
A timeline of blockbuster animations
KOSÉ Travel Retail has long been a pioneer of pop-up-driven retailtainment, using immersive, omnichannel activations to deepen engagement with travelling consumers and bring its prestige brands to life in high-energy travel retail environments. Nowhere is this strategy more evident than in Hainan, where the company has consistently embraced experiential formats, bold Out of Home storytelling and online-to-offline innovation to connect with shoppers before, during and after their journeys.
Across the island’s key duty-free hubs, KOSÉ has leveraged pop-ups not simply as temporary retail spaces, but as dynamic brand theatres – combining interactive games, beauty services, celebrity moments and digital touchpoints such as WeChat Mini Programs, livestreaming and targeted social campaigns. These activations reflect the Group’s commitment to creating memorable, sensorial experiences that translate hero product launches into cultural moments for travellers.
Over the years, KOSÉ Travel Retail has been expanding the scope and ambition of these blockbuster animations with recent case studies from the USA.
2022
DECORTÉ paints Hainan purple
In 2022, KOSÉ Travel Retail introduced the new DECORTÉ Liposome Advanced Serum with a bang in Hainan.
The company launched refreshed counter and store designs to promote the serum in several key Hainan locations, including with China Duty Free Group (CDFG) at the cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex; GDF Plaza; Times DF x DFS Group Haikou Mission Hills Duty-Free Complex; Haikou Mova Mall (CDFG); CNSC Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Plaza; and the Hainan Tourism Duty Free Shopping Complex.
Large-scale OOH activations ran across the island’s major shopping destinations, key railway stations and airports. These included high-profile digital displays at Haikou Meilan International Airport.
The cross-channel DECORTÉ OOH campaign painted Hainan purple with striking visuals that highlighted Liposome Advanced Serum’s key skincare benefits.
The roll-out’s reach was expanded in the digital world with KOSÉ Travel Retail’s first-ever WeChat Mini Program, alongside powerful Weibo communications and targeted advertising on OTA (online travel agency) sites.
DECORTÉ took over the high-profile outdoor advertising at the cdf Haikou Mova Mall
DECORTÉ commanded attention by taking over the outdoor LED screen at the CNSC Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Plaza in 2022
DECORTÉ brought interactive elements to its cdf Haikou Mova Mall presence
DECORTÉ Liposome lands in Haikou
In May 2022, KOSÉ Travel Retail partnered with CDFG to host an immersive pop-up showcasing DECORTÉ Liposome Advanced Serum at the cdf Haikou Mova Mall.
The animation, inspired by the serum’s nickname in China – the ‘Little Purple Bottle’, featured a striking purple colour palette.
The O2O animation combined interactive in-store elements, including a game, photo-corner and beauty touch-up zone, with a dedicated WeChat Mini Program. It highlighted not just Liposome Series but also DECORTÉ prestige lines AQ Meliority and AQ.
The ‘Liposome Drop’ game educated customers about the Liposome microcapsules in a fun and engaging way. It featured DECORTÉ’s signature purple balls, stored in a sphere, referencing the shape of the Liposome capsules.
At the Touch Up Zone, DECORTÉ Beauty Consultants helped shoppers try the serum and taught them about its many skincare benefits. Several travel retail-exclusive sizes and sets alongside gifts with purchase were available at the animation.
Retailtainment and education come together at the Liposome Drop game
The Liposome Drop game was a playful take on the shape of the Liposome capsules
2023
DECORTÉ and I
In 2023, KOSÉ Travel Retail ran the ‘DECORTÉ and I’ summer takeover in Hainan to promote its global ‘Emulsion First’ campaign.
The vibrant, purple-coloured animations, featuring summer-themed beach motifs, encouraged consumers to use the DECORTÉ Emulsion before the DECORTÉ Lotion to allow the products to penetrate more effectively.
DECORTÉ engaged with travellers ahead of their trips by launching a promotional campaign on Chinese online travel agent Ctrip.
Upon arrival to Hainan, travellers explored multiple pop-up locations at the cdf Haikou Mova Mall, Times DF Haikou Mission Hills, GDF Plaza, cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex, Hainan Tourism Duty Free Shopping Complex and Wangfujing International Duty-Free Harbour City.
Each animation offered several digital and in-person retailtainment elements. A large ‘see-saw’ game was a standout element and educated travellers on the skin barrier repairing efficacy of DECORTÉ’s products.
In addition, travellers were invited to follow DECORTÉ’S WeChat Mini Program where they could play an online game inspired by the bubble-like shape of DECORTÉ’s Advanced Liposome Serum.
KOSÉ Travel Retail promoted the campaign with large-scale OOH visuals throughout the island as well as social media activity on WeChat, Weibo and Red.
The O2O Emulsion First takeover offered pre-, during and post-trip engagement and combined dynamic real-life experiences with targeted digital communications. Pictured is the pop-up at the cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex.
Baseball fans had the chance to go into the ‘locker room’ with Japanese sporting legend Shohei Ohtani and explore branded merchandise
2024
A winning partnership with Shohei Ohtani and DFS Group in Los Angeles
In 2024, DECORTÉ signed Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani as its Advertising Model. KOSÉ Travel Retail marked the occasion with an animation at Los Angeles International Airport in partnership with DFS Group.
The event featured a specially designed installation inspired by a baseball field and locker room, reflecting Ohtani’s sporting legacy.
The event space, prominently situated near the DFS Group walkthrough store, highlighted DECORTÉ’s luxurious skincare products and bestsellers.
In addition, ZIPAIR passengers who visited the animation received exclusive gifts. Those who showed the DECORTÉ x Shohei Ohtani promotional page and purchased any product were gifted a signed hand towel along with a 12ml bottle of the hero DECORTÉ Liposome Serum.
An original Los Angeles-exclusive DECORTÉ tote bag was also available as a special gift, further enhancing the customer experience.
According to KOSÉ Travel Retail, the activation attracted both domestic and international travellers, providing an opportunity for DECORTÉ to expand its reach in global travel retail.
A giant DECORTÉ Advanced Liposome Serum greeted travellers as they entered the animation
ZIPAIR passengers received a special branded towel at the pop-up
2025
A Little Luxury, Everywhere You Go
In 2025, DECORTÉ ran an ambitious cross-border promotion in Japan and China showcasing its hero products, Liposome Advanced Serum and key line, Sunshelter.
Under the banner ‘A Little Luxury, Everywhere You Go’, the campaign blended retail promotions, digital engagement, hotel and airline partnerships and experiential activations to offer a memorable shopping experience for travellers. It was launched in April and was extended through November.
The centrepiece of the campaign was KOSÉ Travel Retail’s first large-scale pop-up in Okinawa, running in partnership with DFS Group. The animation centred on the latest brand campaign starring DECORTÉ Advertising Model, Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani.
Shoppers received original Japanese Uchiwa fans (a flat, non-folding Japanese hand fan) and exclusive merchandise, such as a Shohei Otani-themed black pouch and an AQ limited-edition set.
An augmented-reality photo booth invited travellers to capture a memorable digital moment with the baseball star. Beauty consultants offered personalised skincare advice while a capsule lottery and memory match game boosted engagement.
According to KTR, DECORTÉ achieved its highest monthly sell-out record in May at DFS Okinawa thanks to the activation.
The ambitious multi-market omnichannel campaign spanned key travel retail locations in Okinawa, Beijing, Shanghai and Hainan. Pictured is the central animation at DFS Okinawa.
High-profile visibility for DECORTÉ Advanced Liposome at Beijing Capital International Airport
DECORTÉ has rolled out a dynamic pop-up at Wangfujing International Duty-Free Harbour City combining retail theatre with online and OOH engagement
In Kansai, DECORTÉ partnered with local hotels to offer in-room amenities in conjunction with the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan. The brand also partnered with Japan Airlines to offer sampling experiences in the First Class and Sakura lounges at Tokyo Haneda Airport.
In China, the campaign ran across several key duty-free locations, including Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3, Shanghai Pudong International Airport Terminal 2, Zhuhai Duty Free Gongbei Port Arrivals store and Wangfujing International Duty-Free Harbor City in Wanning, Hainan.
The activations combine outdoor advertising with on-site engagement, social media integration through WeChat and Red, alongside promotional offers including trial sets, exclusive gift-with-purchase pouches and capsule-toy-style lotteries.
It offered travellers trial sets of DECORTÉ Advanced Liposome and a limited-edition gift-with-purchase set. Travellers could also receive limited-edition Uchiwa fans after following DECORTÉ’s WeChat and Red accounts.
The KOSÉ Travel Retail and DFS Group teams celebrate the opening of the Okinawa animation
Travellers snapped digital photos with Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani via an AR photo booth
2025
DECORTÉ hits a homerun with DFS Group
In late 2025, KOSÉ Travel Retail teamed up with DFS Group for a series of immersive Liposome activations across key airport locations in the USA. The pop-up campaign was centred on the brand’s partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.
The animations ran from late August through September, with pop-ups at DFS stores in New York John F. Kennedy International Airport Terminal 4 (JFK), San Francisco International Airport gates A and G (SFO), and the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The Los Angeles activation was the focal point of the campaign and ran from 31 August to 30 September, coinciding with the LA Dodgers’ home game season. In addition to the in-store pop-up, DECORTÉ ran a full digital billboard takeover across all ten screens at the DFS store in the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
The materials for the LAX animation (pictured) were previously used during the DECORTÉ pop-up at DFS Okinawa in the summer, underlining the brand’s commitment to sustainability
The campaign offered several engagement elements. These included a DFS-exclusive tote bag, a Gachapon game offering Mini Liposome Serum (12ml) prizes, skincare touch-up experiences and a limited-edition Shohei Ohtani trading card.
In addition, DECORTÉ teamed up with HIS LA bus tours to gift thousands of passengers Liposome sachets and information leaflets during outbound rides. The leaflets, targeted at travellers returning to Japan, were redeemable for additional samples at the LAX DFS Group store.
KOSÉ has extended its partnership with the LA Dodgers through 2029 from the initial agreement in 2024. On 21 September, during the Dodgers home game against the San Francisco Giants, the first 10,000 fans to arrive at the stadium received special Dodgers trading cards, including one of Shohei Ohtani featuring the signature ‘DECORTÉ pose’. Customers purchasing Liposome products at the official team store also received the card.
According to the company, the pop-up campaign drew a diverse audience, from dedicated Shohei Ohtani fans to international travellers discovering DECORTÉ for the first time.
The campaign leveraged KOSÉ’s extended partnership with the LA Dodgers, creating powerful synergy between sport and skincare
A DFS-exclusive DECORTÉ x Shohei Ohtani tote bag and trading card were sought-after gifts with purchase
DECORTÉ ran a full digital billboard takeover across all ten screens at the DFS store in the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX
At San Francisco International Airport, travellers discovered DECORTÉ’s Liposome technology through hands-on consultations and exclusive touch-up services
DECORTÉ Liposome shined through striking digital screens across participating airports
Spotlight Series – May 2026