Featuring 6th among the top most valued cosmetic brands in 2025 with a net worth of $6.2 billion (USD) is Lancôme one of finest beauty brands under the L’Oréal umbrella and has long positioned itself at the intersection of luxury and innovation. In recent years, the brand has harnessed the potential of vending kiosks and pop-up activations as part of a wider tech-driven experiential retail strategy. These installations are not merely about convenience; they are immersive, tech-powered experiences designed to captivate audiences, promote trial of new products, accelerate sale and reinforce Lancôme’s image as a leader in modern, inclusive luxury.
Lancôme Custom Vending Machine – Chadstone, Melbourne (2019)
Event & Location
In January and February 2019, Lancôme unveiled a custom-designed vending machine at Chadstone Shopping Centre, one of Melbourne’s most prestigious retail hubs. Strategically timed and located, the activation capitalized on heavy footfall and post-holiday shopping buzz to maximize exposure and engagement.
Features
- Offered a curated selection of Lancôme’s signature cosmetics, including high-demand and limited edition items such as Advanced Génifique serum and L’Absolu Rouge lipstick.
- Access to products was gamified through custom-branded tokens, distributed as part of the promotional campaign, encouraging both physical engagement and brand recall.
- The vending machine exuded opulence wrapped in premium, fully branded Lancôme visuals, maintaining the brand’s luxurious tone and reinforcing brand identity at every touchpoint.
Experiential Elements
- Visitors were treated to complimentary lip touch-ups and personalized consultations by senior makeup artists with National Director of Artistry, adding prestige and credibility to the experience.
- Makeup masterclasses (Lara Master Classes) were conducted on-site, transforming the shopping experience into an educational, inspirational moment for beauty enthusiasts.
- The experience also encouraged social sharing, helping to extend the campaign’s visibility beyond the physical installation.
Purpose & Impact
Lancome’s vending kiosk endeavor wasn’t meant for convenient selling. It was a strategic activation designed to strike a balance between product accessibility and emotional brand engagement. By integrating live artistry, luxury sampling and limited-edition exclusivity in a convenient format, Lancôme created a buzz-worthy retail moment that drove both sales and deeper brand affinity.
Lancôme Idôle Vending Machine – ION Orchard, Singapore (2023)
Event & Location
Building on previous successes, Lancôme launched a multi-sensory pop-up in April 2023, centered around its new fragrance, Lancôme Idôle Eau De Parfum, at ION Orchard, a prime luxury retail destination in Singapore. At the heart of the pop-up stood the lavishly designed Idôle Vending Machine, that distributed samples of the perfume while creating a digitally enhanced shareable experience.
Key Features
- In the pop-up kiosk, visitors could redeem a free 1.2ml sample of the fragrance after scanning a QR code and playing a short interactive game, blending digital engagement with physical product sampling.
- The vending experience was touchless and intuitive, aligning with modern expectations for hygiene and convenience.
Experiential Elements
- The kiosk offered a 360-degree selfie camera booth offered visitors an immersive, Instagram-worthy moment that further incentivized engagement and encouraged social sharing.
- Customers purchasing 50ml or 100ml perfume bottles, were offered personalization options like bottle embossing and glass painting, that added artistic nuance and a sense of privileged ownership.
- The pop-up also featured complimentary skin analysis sessions, highlighting Lancôme’s broader skincare innovations and driving interest in its “healthy-for-skin” product line.
Purpose & Impact
This initiative was tailored for a younger, tech-savvy demographic, merging the thrill of gamification with the luxury of personalized product discovery. It not only made a grand debut of the new Idôle fragrance but masterfully welcomed customers to the brand’s core, strengthening emotional connections and brand loyalty.
Technology with Purpose: Lancôme’s Broader Vision for Accessibility
The HAPTA Device
Although not a typical vending machine, Lancome has demonstrated their dedication to technology driven accessibility and inclusivity. The launch of HAPTA, a handheld, motion-stabilized makeup applicator can be mentioned in this respect, which is designed for individuals with limited hand or arm mobility. HAPTA uses advanced robotics and algorithms to help users apply makeup with precision and ease.
This initiative is part of Lancôme’s philosophy to make luxury beauty available to all, regardless of physical ability. It reflects an evolved understanding of beauty, not just as a product, but as an experience that should be empowering, dignified and universally accessible.
Key Takeaways
Lancôme’s vending machine activations reflect a blend of retail technology, luxury branding and immersive engagement strategies. These efforts collectively aim to reimagine how consumers discover and connect with beauty products in both physical and digital environments.
- Strategic Retail Locations: High-traffic venues like Chadstone and ION Orchard enabled maximum visibility and impulse engagement.
- Product Curation: The machines featured bestsellers, limited editions and new launches, enticing both loyal customers and curious new users.
- Technological Integration: Innovations such as QR code access, interactive games and touchless vending made the experiences modern and intuitive.
- Experiential Add-ons: On-site artistry, personalization stations and immersive selfie booths turned simple sampling into memorable brand interactions.
- Social Media Amplification: Shareable moments like 360° selfie booths and personalized embossing helped extend campaign reach digitally.
- Inclusivity and Innovation: Beyond retail, Lancôme’s development of assistive tech like the HAPTA applicator signals a deeper commitment to inclusive beauty.
- Brand Outcomes: These initiatives increased footfalls, encouraged product trials, deepened consumer trust and positioned Lancôme as an experiential and inclusive leader in the luxury beauty space.
Conclusion
Lancôme’s vending machine activations represent a bold fusion of accessibility, technology and experiential design in retail. Far from being simple dispensing units, these installations are touchpoints for storytelling, sampling and building strong brand loyalty. By elevating vending into an immersive brand experience and backing it with inclusive tech initiatives, Lancôme has set a new benchmark for luxury retail in the digital age.
For companies seeking to deliver a tech-driven, immersive brand experience that drives loyalty, sales, and repeat purchases, Ogmento’s custom AI-powered vending machines are the ideal solution. From convenient product accessibility to a marketing powerhouse, our vending solutions are designed to be a wholesome, result-driven unmanned sales funnel.
