How Locala helped Kérastase transform the launch of its Gloss Absolu range into a high-traffic physical experience across two of the Middle East’s most competitive shopping destinations.
Turning a pop-up store into a destination
For the Gloss Absolu campaign, Kérastase went big. The brand unveiled two immersive pop-up experiences in some of the region’s most prestigious retail destinations: Fashion Avenue at Dubai Mall and KAFD Mall in Riyadh.
Far more than traditional retail activations, these spaces were designed as fully immersive Gloss Absolu experiences. Visitors could discover oversized product installations, enjoy a Gloss Absolu Crème ice cream stand, interact with exclusive Snapchat experiences, benefit from personalized hair diagnostics, and engage with a range of premium brand activations. Every touchpoint was carefully designed to bring the new range to life in a memorable, sensory, and highly shareable way.
The challenge, however, was significant. In locations that welcome thousands of visitors every day, how do you ensure that the right consumers not only notice your activation but actively choose to visit it?
Precision geo-targeting at scale
To meet that challenge, Locala deployed a geo-targeted mobile campaign designed to reach audiences with the strongest affinity for premium beauty and luxury lifestyles.
In Dubai Mall, the strategy focused on three key audience segments: affluent luxury shoppers visiting Fashion Avenue, high-income expatriate residents already familiar with premium beauty brands, and trend-conscious Gen Z consumers drawn to experiential activations and social-first content.
In Riyadh’s KAFD district, Locala targeted a complementary mix: corporate power women working in finance and technology, lifestyle-driven socialites frequenting the district’s dining and leisure venues, and young creatives women drawn to innovative beauty experiences and content creation opportunities.
By combining mobility intelligence, ultra-precise geographic targeting, and the Store Navigator integrated directly within the ad experience, consumers were not only introduced to the Gloss Absolu universe, but seamlessly guided to the nearest pop-up location.
Ensuring every visit counted
Driving traffic was only half the equation. Locala also needed to ensure that every visit reflected genuine consumer intent, not incidental foot traffic.
The campaign relied on hyper-strict geofencing, with perimeters drawn exclusively around the physical footprint of each podium rather than the entire mall or surrounding district. This enabled precise visit attribution, ensuring that only consumers who intentionally deviated from their shopping journey to visit the activation were counted.
Locala also relied on highly qualified audience vectors, targeting premium beauty salon visitors and affluent consumers with a strong affinity for luxury beauty products. By reaching audiences already predisposed to engage with the category, every impression was maximized, increasing the likelihood of in-store visits.
Turning attention into real-world visits
The strategy successfully transformed digital engagement into measurable foot traffic, generating more than 1,400 visits across both markets:
- 765 incremental visits in the UAE
- 388 incremental visits in Saudi Arabia
- 0.94% overall CTR in the UAE
This precision translated into a highly efficient Cost Per Incremental Visit of just $8.70, demonstrating the campaign’s ability to generate qualified traffic at scale.
Visitor engagement was equally impressive. Dubai Mall, which accounted for 55% of total campaign traffic, recorded an average dwell time of 12.5 minutes, while KAFD Riyadh generated an average dwell time of 11.8 minutes. These figures show that consumers weren’t simply stopping by, but actively engaging with the Gloss Absolu experience.
In their words
As Lara Azhari, Marketing Manager at Kérastase, explains:
“For the second year in a row, we painted Dubai pink with our state-of-the-art Gloss Absolu Glass House podium, creating a striking destination for beauty enthusiasts at the heart of Dubai Mall.
Together with Locala, we leveraged a geo-targeted campaign that drove more than 800 incremental visits to the podium.
Visitors had the opportunity to discover the new Gloss Absolu Crème range – our latest routine designed specifically for thick, frizzy hair – engage with immersive brand experiences, and redeem exclusive luxury gifts with purchase.“
Christie Tohme, Media Manager, adds:
“Marketing is increasingly about reaching consumers in the right moment and context. Through our collaboration with Locala, we were able to combine precision geotargeting with a premium brand experience, successfully driving over 800 visits to the Kérastase podium at Dubai Mall. The results demonstrate how data-driven media can translate digital engagement into meaningful real-world interactions.”
This campaign illustrates how advanced geo-targeting can elevate a temporary retail activation into a destination consumers actively seek out.
By combining audience intelligence, hyper-local targeting, precise visit measurement, and seamless navigation tools, Locala helped Kérastase transform awareness into action: generating more than 1,400 measured visits, strong engagement times, and a highly efficient cost per incremental visit.
The result is a clear demonstration of how data-driven location marketing can bridge the gap between digital advertising and real-world consumer experiences, delivering measurable business outcomes for premium brands.