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Luxury skincare house La Mer welcomed the Year of the Snake with a travel retail campaign that blended tradition, artistry and renewal.
The Chinese Zodiac Snake, long revered as a symbol of rebirth and transformation, set the tone for La Mer’s Year of the Snake collection.
The Estée Lauder Companies-owned ultra-premium brand collaborated with acclaimed Chinese calligraphy artist Xu Jing to create a limited-edition collection, merging traditional craftsmanship with luxury skincare codes.
At the heart of the campaign was an exclusive treasure hunt experience which guided travellers through a series of curated touchpoints. It ran in key locations in Asia Pacific, Europe and North American travel retail throughout January and February with flagship animations in Hainan.
Xu Jing’s bespoke artwork for La Mer, ‘Renewal’, reflects both the artist’s philosophy and the brand’s deep-rooted ethos. The intricate strokes and fluid movement in the calligraphy mirror La Mer’s approach to formulation and design.
A multi-sensory retail experience
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La Mer’s animations showcased Xu Jing’s artwork and celebrated the artistry of Chinese calligraphy. The activations, tailored for the travel retail environment, offered elevated gifting experiences during the peak holiday travel period.
Underlining its focus on retailtainment, La Mer introduced an interactive treasure hunt-inspired journey at two flagship pop-up locations in Hainan: the cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex and cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex.
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Travellers equipped with La Mer boarding passes embarked on interactive missions at both pop-ups and corresponding La Mer boutiques to unlock exclusive rewards.
At cdf Sanya, visitors participated in a scratch card experience to reveal their lucky character and receive a ‘Gift of Renewal’ from La Mer.
At the La Mer boutique in Sanya, customers enjoyed Tanghulu (a traditional Chinese candied fruit) that added local flavour to the experience.
A selection of travel retail-exclusive sets, offering La Mer’s signature skincare formulations, were available across the animations.
The sets incorporated a ‘grab-and-go’ concept, catering to the fast-paced nature of travelling.
In addition, La Mer introduced exclusive Lunar New Year-themed gifting elements decorated with Xu Jing’s artwork.
These included limited-edition red packets, key charms and gift boxes offering an additional layer of personalisation.
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The Estée Lauder Companies Senior Vice President/General Manager, La Mer, Travel Retail Worldwide Patrick Bouchard commented: “Through collaborations with exceptional artists and retail partners, we continue to elevate the travel retail experience, creating moments that resonate with the luxury traveller during the Year of Snake.
“Our commitment extends beyond luxury skincare – it is about crafting a refined retail journey that brings culture, beauty and renewal to travellers around the world.” ✈
A dynamic global campaignBuilding on the theme of renewal, La Mer ran a series of Lunar New Year pop-ups across key locations in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America throughout January and February.
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