CHINA. Kiehl’s Travel Retail has partnered with the Alibaba/Dufry Joint Venture to run a fun and eye-catching month-long pop-up at GDF Plaza in Haikou, Hainan.
Named the ‘Mr Bones 24-Hour C+A Lab’, the activation was designed to highlight two of the brand’s leading products.
The pop-up – which ran throughout November – promoted Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution and Kiehl’s Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum products. The activation attracted over 20,000 visitors and a customer satisfaction rate of 97%, according to the brand.
The activation was styled to connect with Gen Z consumers through an entertaining experience designed to present a balance between the brand’s quirkiness and scientific skincare image.
Visitors were treated to what Kiehl’s described as a “witty and lively experience” at the Kiehl’s Mr Bones 24-Hour C+A Lab pop-up. The scientific skincare brand’s familiar Mr Bones icon, dressed in the signature Kiehl’s white lab coat, educated visitors on effective anti-premature ageing skincare.
As part of the digital experience presented to consumers at the pop-up, Mr Bones used the method of ‘C+A’ to deliver skin benefits – the Morning C for Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution, and the Evening A for Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum.
Targeted specially at Gen Z consumers, the activation aimed to solidify the efficacy of the Kiehl’s C+A solution for younger users, driving home the message that even youths should start to combat the signs of skin aging and dullness early.
The laboratory tour then offered interactive retailtainment, reiterating the science behind Mr Bones’ C+A skincare routine. At the Morning C zone, a matching game helped visitors discover the ingredients in the Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution. They discovered that it is not only a concoction of vitamin C, it also contains buffered salicylic acid, and proxylane for brightening and anti-aging benefits.
At the Evening A area, an entertaining ‘pacman’ game led visitors to find out more about the formula and ingredients in the Kiehl’s Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum. This product contains not just pure retinol that accelerates skin surface turnover, but also ceramides and peptides – which complement retinol by strengthening the moisture barrier and enhancing skin integrity respectively – for ‘optimum’ nighttime skin repair.
At the heart of Mr Bones’ lab was the professional skin diagnosis service featuring Kiehl’s Derma-Reader Pro, an advanced skin imaging device that combines deep-skin photo-analysis and Kiehl’s scientific insights.
At the pop-up, Kiehl’s team of ‘Skin Pros’ provided each consumer with a tailored skincare routine and personalised product recommendations to help with their skin concerns.
The pop-up experience concluded at the Mr Bones Gift Station – a vending machine which dispensed deluxe-sized travel samples and mini Kiehl’s facial massagers for all visitors.
L’Oréal Travel Retail Asia Pacific Skincare Business Unit General Manager Fion Ng said: “We’re glad to have welcomed global travellers to our Kiehl’s Mr Bones C+A Lab in GDF Plaza, Haikou throughout the month of November, with a new focus on our Gen Z consumers.
“Thanks to the highly interactive and gamified experience, the outpost delivered high standards of education and entertainment to travellers. All our appreciation goes to our Kiehl’s family and Dufry partners for this resounding success, and we look forward to bringing more fun-filled pop-ups to our friends and family in GDF Haikou.”
Alibaba and Dufry Joint Venture Vice-President Emma Chen said: “On behalf of the Alibaba and Dufry Joint Venture and our regular shoppers, we’d like to extend our gratitude to Kiehl’s Travel Retail APAC for the riveting and interactive pop-up that captured our hearts and minds.
“We’re always on the search for new consumer journeys and experiences, and the innovative Kiehl’s Travel Retail event was a perfect fit to our values.” 
