With its ‘lipstick in the dark’ store, KissMe Ferme dials up the senses
For the launch of its ToRiKo Touch lipstick, Japanese cosmetics brand KissMe Ferme is turning down the lights. The brand has created a temporary "lipstick in the dark" store, where customers are invited to step into a dimmed room with private, veiled-off spaces and apply the new product. It's a deliberate design choice that encourages visitors to focus entirely on the tactile experience — the smoothness, texture and scent of the lipstick — rather than its visual appearance.
The experiential, sensory concept stands in stark contrast to a crowded Sephora or brightly lit department store counter. By removing visual distractions and creating a quiet, intimate atmosphere, KissMe Ferme heightens customers' awareness of the product's key selling point: its exceptionally smooth feel. The lipstick features an innovative layered micro-structure and emollient oils, creating what the brand describes as a "captivatingly smooth and blissful application."
The activation leverages the psychology of sensory focus — when one sense is diminished, others become more acute — and highlights how multisensory environments can be used to produce memorable customer experiences. By encouraging shoppers to "surrender to the dimly lit, quiet space" and "direct all consciousness to the lips," KissMe Ferme is betting that an emotional, sensory connection with the product will resonate more deeply than any traditional campaign could.