The Moodies – Experiential Campaign
Best Experiential Campaign
Winner Brand
L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific – YSL Beauté in Haitang Bay, Sanya
L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific, in partnership with China Duty Free Group (CDFG), unveiled a YSL Beauté virtual-reality pop-up at Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haitang Bay, Hainan. The activation was unveiled in December 2022 and it combined offline retail with virtual-reality (VR) gaming, pushing the boundaries of beauty engagement.
L’Oréal Travel Retail noted: “Embracing the innovative and edgy essence of Yves Saint Laurent, this immersive experience was tailored for China’s young and vibrant travellers in Hainan. It transported them to the YSL Beauté zone for impactful brand interaction through Oculus VR headsets.”
The primary objective of this campaign was clear: to deliver an immersive beauty experience that excites YSL’s target audience, particularly tech-savvy Gen Z travellers. L’Oréal Travel Retail’s overarching goals included creating a connection with YSL Beauty’s pillar products, building brand loyalty and driving conversion during peak travel holidays.
VR participants redeemed exclusive activation codes in physical stores, driving in-store traffic and boosting campaign effectiveness (Visuals courtesy: Kivisense for YSL)
At the pop-up YSL Beauté incorporated the Oculus VR headset, which transported users to a 360-degree beauty zone. Equipped with an intuitive controller, participants became active explorers in this virtual journey. The immersive experience allowed users to connect with YSL beyond the physical retail space, overcoming a key challenge of limited retail space for product exploration at crowded duty free malls in Hainan.
Within the VR experience, users encountered three YSL pillar products including Rouge pur Couture The Bold. A single tap on the controller triggered an explosion of vibrant colours and couture shine texture. With YSL’s hero fragrance Libre Eau de Parfum, the product exploration went beyond visual stimulation and enveloped participants in an ‘olfactory paradise’. The key ingredients behind Libre’s signature scent – lavender and orange flower – blossomed around users, giving them an immersive product experience.
Pushing the boundaries of digital innovation through the ambitious YSL beauty campaign
For YSL’s skincare pillar Pure Shots Night Reboot Serum, users witnessed hero ingredient moonlight cactus blooming in real-time in the dark and lighting up the space with powerful beams, resonating with the serum’s repairing and brightening up efficacy on skin which targets urban lifestyle consumers.
Each interaction was designed to deliver key product benefits in a sharp and impactful manner, leveraging VR to realise product interactions that cannot be achieved in the physical world.
To maximise engagement and foot traffic, L’Oréal Travel Retail executed an online plus offline (O+O) drive for the VR experience. Online media advertisements targeted pre-trip and in-trip travellers on travel-focused mobile applications, generating anticipation and registration for the pop-up event. An LED screen display at the physical pop-up drew passersby with a demo video on loop.
Through the VR visuals, consumers gained a deeper understanding of YSL beauty products, igniting purchase intent and user-generated content sharing. More than 7,000 participants spent an average of 300+ seconds in the virtual YSL world. Notably, 100% of users completed the VR journey, leading to offline conversion boost.
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