USA. KOSÉ Travel Retail has partnered with DFS Group for a series of immersive Liposome activations across key airport locations in the USA. The pop-up campaign builds on the brand’s partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team and its ongoing work with DFS Group following recent DECORTÉ and SEKKISEI animations in Japan.
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 campaign elevated awareness of the brand’s Liposome skincare line through an engaging combination of in-store experiences, digital visibility and exclusive offers.
At each location, DECORTÉ created a dedicated pop-up space supported by in-store signage and promotional displays. The New York and San Francisco pop-ups ran 2-30 September and featured an in-store high-profile promotion and external signages. At San Franscisco two additional in-store wall displays drove further awareness.
The activations were designed to promote discovery and conversion among both existing fans and first-time users of the Liposome range.
A homerun campaign at Los Angeles International
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 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. Japanese baseball player Ohtani is the advertising model for DECORTÉ.
The materials for the LAX animation were previously used during the DECORTÉ pop-up at DFS Okinawa in the summer, underlining the brand’s commitment to sustainability.
Prior to launch, approximately 30 promoters and DFS beauty staff underwent dedicated online training led by the KOSÉ Travel Retail Education Department. The session focused on enhancing staff members’ Liposome product knowledge, product touch-up techniques and communication strategies. KOSÉ Travel Retail said that the initiative was a success, with many international travellers proceeding to purchase products after experiencing the touch-ups.
Partnership beyond the airport
KOSÉ Travel Retail extended the campaign’s reach beyond the airport through omnichannel partnerships. The company 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.
By combining interactive experiences, exclusive novelties and sports tie-ins, the initiative drove both visibility and sales.
KOSÉ Travel Retail President and CEO Hiroto Kitaki commented: “This September, we simultaneously launched large-scale DECORTÉ pop-ups at three major international airports in North America: LAX, SFO and JFK. Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event at LAX, we expanded to three key North American cities, significantly enhancing both the scale and the experiential impact of the brand.
“This initiative, made possible with the support of our partners, including DFS Group, provided a valuable opportunity to bring the world of DECORTÉ directly to a global audience.
“The pop-ups received high praise from a diverse range of travellers, not only from Japan but also from Europe, the Middle East and Asia, reaffirming the international appeal and potential of our brand.”
He continued: “We view this simultaneous three-airport activation not merely as a sales promotion, but as a prologue to a full-scale expansion of the DECORTÉ brand in the North American travel retail market.
“Moving forward, we will leverage the success of this campaign to deepen our understanding of customer needs and purchasing behaviours, strengthening integrated brand experiences across product offerings, in-store activations and digital initiatives.”
Kitaki added: “We will continue to bring ‘refined Japanese beauty and craftsmanship’ to the global stage through duty-free channels, aiming to elevate brand value further. We will use the achievements of this campaign as a stepping stone toward the next phase of growth, continually striving to deliver beauty experiences that truly resonate with customers worldwide.”
DFS Group Senior Vice President Beauty Amael Blain added: “Following the success of our Okinawa pop-up this summer, we are delighted to have brought the activation to our North America locations. This strategic expansion has been instrumental in boosting the visibility of KOSÉ and DECORTÉ, enabling us to connect with a broader audience and share the excellence of our brands.
“Looking ahead, DFS and KOSÉ Travel Retail are dedicated to delivering exclusive and unforgettable experiences to even more customers. I look forward to the exciting opportunities our continued collaboration will bring in the coming year.” ✈
