The city is becoming a veritable field of expression for cosmetics brands. A strategy that reflects changing consumer expectations and redefines the codes of accessible beauty.

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Away from the traditional shop shelves, some players in the sector are now banking on innovative urban systems to reach the public in a different way.

The street, a new channel for sensory experience

In cities, advertising campaigns are no longer confined to posters – they are becoming interactive, tactile and sometimes even olfactory. Whether it’s a digital billboard diffusing perfume or a bus shelter transformed into an ephemeral mini-institute, these installations are designed to capture attention in an everyday world saturated with images. This shift towards “situational” beauty questions our relationship with skincare: do we need to be at home to take care of our skin?

A patch, a shop window, a street

The latest example is the collaboration between Garnier and JCDecaux to launch the Pimple Patch. In Paris, a bus shelter has been transformed into a genuine product contact point, incorporating a free dispenser of invisible anti-imperfection patches.

The device attracts not only the curious, but also passers-by with an immediate need. This marketing campaign, although targeted, illustrates a wider desire on the part of brands to get closer to real-life uses, outside the traditional consumer context.

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Visibility, accessibility, legitimacy

Through these operations, brands hope to reinforce their legitimacy while creating new consumer reflexes. Street furniture becomes a demonstration area, almost educational, where products can be tested without obligation. It also raises questions about the place of advertising in our daily lives, and when the street becomes a shop window, how far can it be integrated into the public space?

Between service and communication

For some, it’s just a clever publicity stunt, while for others it’s a response to the expectations of a public hungry for new forms of interaction. However, this type of initiative raises a number of questions: is the street a neutral space? Does urban sampling replace in-store advice? And what role will these forms of “experiential” marketing play in the cities of tomorrow?