Sephora 'Coachella Experience’ Blends Make-Up & Music Via Beauty Bars & Instagram Vending

Don’t worry about melting make-up or messing-up your hair at Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival this year, as the objective of the Sephora Collection onsite brand experience is to keep festivalgoers primped all weekend-long – no matter the music or the weather.

The festival’s official beauty sponsor has created a free brand experience space based inside an air-conditioned tent (next to the Mojave Stage) comes complete with live plant life installations, faux grass and panoramic images and was promoted socially with the hashtag #SephoraCoachella and a bit of help from Clean Bandit.

Thanks @Sephora #SephoraCoachella for makeup treats and skillz pic.twitter.com/jrKDLPRS7S

— Clean Bandit (@cleanbandit) April 17, 2015

This expert-staffed, beauty-based pop-up is open for ticket holders to both festival weekends 10 to 12 April and 17 to 19 April).

Attendees can style themselves at the Sephora ‘DIY Beauty Bar’, or take advantage of the face and body art service, have a metallic (temporary) tattoo, get a free Sephora Collection Fiber Mask face treatment inside of a Fiber Mask Fire Pit and have Sephora hair styling all under the expert supervision of the Sephora PRO Team.

Then, to show off and share the new looks, Sephora is providing a digital photo booth festivalgoers to tag and share their festival-ready hair and makeup (plus an in-space photo wall too).

that moment when eonline posts a pic of me and @emilyhennagin gettin our photo taken LOL #sephoracoachella pic.twitter.com/gvxrXLiVdW

— meg (@megloughman) April 15, 2015

A professional photo experience with L.A.-based photography and marketing company Mirmir, who has worked with celebrities like Beyonce and Jay Z, among others is also on hand.

Attendees are all being asked to tag @Sephora #SephoraCoachella on social media accounts in return for earning a shot at a surprise reward at the Sephora Collection Instagram vending machine.

Some who tag will also be in with a chance to be re-Instagrammed by Sephora’s official account – thus sharing their new look – via a photo or a video – to the brand’s 2.3 million followers.

Sephora, the festival’s official beauty partner, is making its second partnership appearance in a row at the festival.

‘It’s all meant to be interactive,’ explains Sephora PR Blakely Vaughn. ‘Coachella is now a fashion statement, and who doesn’t need a touch-up during the day?’

The beauty experience tent is attracting plenty of on- and off-site coverage from the fashion blogging industry.

Indeed, Sephora’s Coachella activation also sees the beauty brand leverage social media as a driving force to engage music and beauty fans at the event as well as those unable to attend.

Both Coachella festival and Sephora social media followers are being served a slew of insider information, tips and tricks and live coverage of the event across the beauty brand’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, mobile-optimized blog and Snapchat.

The beauty retailer has also created a mobile-optimized beauty board page of its web site and app, compiling an array of social media-shareable photos featuring various products from the Sephora Collection marketed as festival wear.

These images can also be seen by exploring the #SephoraCoachella hashtag on all social media.

This follows Sephora’s recent sweepstakes on Snapchat that aimed to build its database of social media followers.

‘Festivals in general provide an experience-rich environment,’ explains Sephora merchandising VP Elizabeth Hayes.

‘Ticket holders are coming to them with the mindset that they are in a rule-free realm and they are going to have fun. Coachella in particular has emerged as a beauty playground, where attendees dare to play and express themselves in a new way through festival-style beauty that’s perfect for Instagram. Our dedicated #SephoraCoachella hashtag allows clients to interact with us @Sephora on that specific topic, and allows us to filter content easily so we can manage and respond to the conversation, all in real time.’

‘An integrated strategy that incorporates our social platforms is important for us because that is where our clients are every day,” continues Hayes.

‘It is an important way to stay connected with them, but we are always mindful to leverage each platforms’ strengths in a way that makes sense.For example, face charts and how-to’s from New York Fashion Week are ideal for Pinterest where content can be pinned for future reference, while backstage images that do not need a lot of explanation are perfect for Instagram.’

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For two weekends in Spring the Empire Polo Club in the southern California desert become something of a millennial marketer’s dream: as tens of thousands of influential, open-minded and ready-to-spend young adults with time to kill descend for the festival.

‘Your base point is these people with very open minds. They are there to have fun,’ explains Sephora merchandising VP Elizabeth Hayes.

Sephora recognises that Coachella has now become as much a fashion and beauty event as a music festival.

A perfect fit for the brand’s own signature beauty-retail concept – created in 1970 – that has sseen it grow to about 1,900 stores in 29 countries worldwide.

It is just one of a slew of brands using the festival to connect to these desirable consumers via amenity-laden tents offering branded experiences (typically in combination with air-conditioning and phone charging).

From fashion retailer H&M’s 360-degree mirrored ‘Selfie Station’ offering attendees a chance to try Oculus virtual-reality headsets, through the Heineken Patio house party, to Absolut Vodka’s branded bar serving up specialty draft cocktails as it unveils its new illuminated limited-edition bottle.

Unlike at so many sports events. Music festival schedules are increasingly designed to leave plenty of time for attendees to use downtime for roaming the grounds exploring various brand experiences that see Coachella sponsors all aim to be ‘part of the moment by fulfilling needs and offering fun’.

Links

Sephora Website

http://www.sephora.com/

Sephora Twitter

https://twitter.com/sephora

Sephora Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Sephora

Sephora YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/user/sephora/tutorials

Sephora Instagram

https://instagram.com/sephora/

Sephora Pinterest