Winky Lux: combining beauty and pop-up stores with “selfie corners”

You could be sharing a fun moment with your girlfriends or pose in front of psychedelic, subdued or flowery sceneries… The cosmetics brand Winky Lux hit the nail on the head with its use of ephemeral showcasings to create an interactive brand experience and pioneer impactful visual marketing. According to passers-by and beauty products aficionados, New York (where you can find Winky Lux’s store and its pop-up space) is a trendsetter in terms of “Instagrammable” stores. The brand opened its selfie corners in its very own mall in August 2018, right in the middle of Soho, with the sole ambition to create a completely immersive experience that’s playful and that’ll work with social media. Let’s analyze their versatile in-store marketing strategy and see how they generated impact on Instagram.

Instagram is a one-of-a-kind platform when it comes to beauty products: it’s a space where young female customers can team up in search of attractive, new products, give advice to each other… All while taking opportunity of this window onto the world to shoot an attractive picture. Winky Lux carefully crafted multicolored and versatile rooms precisely to touch on visual marketing and adapt itself to all kinds of filters. Each room had its own theme: a zen garden here, a cocooning space there, a bathtub filled with yellow balls around the corner… and, in each room, products created by the brand were on display. The way these eclectic points of sale were arranged is no mistake: each room corresponds to a particular personality and showcases its own color scheme and Winky Lux flagship products accordingly. Each and every one can try on what they prefer and simultaneously stage their own personality in an organic way. Winky Lux manages to reach out to crowds and draw in small groups at the same time. And as a result? Their clients are empowered and looking their best, which bumps up their enthusiasm at promoting the brand. This coherent design makes the brand a trendsetter when it comes to in-store visual experience, not unlike an “Alice in Wonderland” moment.

That business model was already in use by big brands such as Sephora and Maybelline, but Winky Lux had to call the shots as well. Stores are indeed left behind on Instagram: the platform is much more partial to food or hotels. Trends are now evolving and so is the potential client base for such stores: according to estimates, three quarters of Instagram users consider taking pictures of the stores they visit. It is this potential that has driven the emergence of selfie corners. The “Winky Lux Experience” space can be accessed by paying a $10 fee per person; customers can only get their entry ticket on the Internet. Entry is barred if you simply show up: it becomes very efficient in motivating young influencers and Instagram users who already use their smartphones when scrolling on Instagram. Customers can also use their tickets to buy products inside the Winky Lux store. This helps incentivize crowds to promote lipsticks, foundation and other beauty products.

It should be noted that the entry to these pop-up spaces is directly located inside the store and that visitors can stay for up to 25 minutes. The limit was carefully selected to keep a strong flow of visitors and maximize the impact of the client experience. Visitors must present their I.D. or passport when entering, which the brand also believes is a measure that can ensure safety on its premises and showcase its selfie corners as VIP rooms with limited access.