EL POWER
OVERVIEW
During Chinese New Year—Hainan’s biggest travel peak—the battle for beauty shoppers is won long before anyone leaves home. Travelers finalize their duty-free shopping lists weeks in advance, locking in purchase decisions prior to arrival. At the same time, traditional mass-media channels are oversaturated with competitor noise, making breakthrough difficult. Estée Lauder partnered with Helios to intercept travelers at the exact moment itineraries were being planned, driving qualified foot traffic to duty-free locations.
THE STRATEGY & FUNNEL
We delivered the industry’s first OTA AI collaboration by embedding Estée Lauder directly into Qunar’s AI trip-planning assistant. The activation engaged travelers through two key mechanics:
- Contextual Pre-Trip AI Integration: Surfaced targeted recommendations seamlessly within the AI assistant as users actively planned Sanya itineraries.
- High-Intent Value Exchange: Delivered instant digital coupons framed as "Travel Rewards," creating a direct incentive for travelers to visit cdf's physical Sanya duty-free stores and converting online engagement into in-store sales.
CREATIVE & EXECUTION
The campaign aesthetic blended traditional Chinese New Year motifs with high-luxury product presentation, showcasing iconic hero products like the Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex and festive limited-edition gift packaging. By aligning bespoke art direction with cutting-edge AI utility, the creative captured consumer attention across both digital itinerary touchpoints and physical retail destinations.
KEY RESULTS
12.9x
5.9M
3,218
