Even luxury should be an immersive experience

In recent years, the world of luxury has evolved from being centered around immediate and fleeting experiences to embracing a new narrative: today, it is emotions that take center stage in brand storytelling. Inclusivity, authenticity, and interactivity have become key assets in marketing strategies aimed at increasing desirability, consumer engagement, and ultimately, revenue.

The Total Luxury Experience and the Case of Hermès

The report The New Codes of Luxury highlights the "total experience" luxury brands aim to create for consumers: "Beyond owning goods, audiences want to enter worlds that resonate on a personal and cultural level." The most successful brands skillfully associate themselves with these worlds—Hermès being a prime example. Following shows in Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, the French powerhouse is bringing "On The Wings of Hermès" to Miami at the end of April: an immersive performance, poetic and evocative, set within a recreated cinematic set. Guests will be welcomed inside the Regatta Harbour Hangar by various sketches inspired by the Greek myth of Pegasus, in a humorous operetta sung by a cast of “Kelly” bags. “In a performance blending dance, object theater, music, and film, visitors uncover a story set against artistically crafted backdrops—utopian landscapes where poetic figurines and Hermès objects come to life in a choreography of fluttering hands,” reads an official press release.

Gen Z Seeks Connection

Leading the trend are younger generations, driven by a strong desire for connection—not just hedonistic, but value-based. As traditional sponsorships, like VIP boxes at fashion weeks, are no longer enough, major luxury brands are responding by fostering real engagement that transcends the product, through impactful storytelling, becoming an integral part of the social and cultural fabric.

Prada and Chanel

When it comes to inclusivity, Prada and Chanel are leading the way. In March, the two maisons turned London’s Covent Garden into a true experiential hub with their respective beauty pop-ups. The Prada Beauty picnic transformed the elegant district into an open-air oasis, offering an immersive experience in the brand’s signature pistachio-green world. Visitors could taste the now-iconic gelato from the Prada Caffè at Harrods and enter raffles for exclusive prizes from the beauty collection. At the same time, the launch of Chanel’s Rouge Coco Playground offered the public ten days of entertainment inspired by the maison’s unmistakable riviera-chic style. Virtual sand, ocean breeze simulations, and performances by professional skaters accompanied personalized one-on-one beauty services and immersive masterclasses, offering tips and techniques to achieve an effortlessly chic makeup look, all in the heart of the city.

Fragrance: The Perfect Medium for Immersive Experiences

When it comes to sensory experiences, fragrance houses are naturally at the forefront: the sense of smell, deeply evocative, can trigger and amplify emotions. This is where memories or desires are born and can influence us. Diptyque, the renowned French brand making candles and fragrances since 1961, launched the "Les Mondes de Diptyque" collection: five scents rooted in an ancestral connection with nature, evoking everything from tree moss to orange blossoms. And the packaging is equally refined: each candle is a colorful monolith, formed by three transparent glass ovals that create a rainbow of reflections through light play. It’s a quasi-cathartic invitation, promising to uplift mood and restore focus—elevating the simple act of lighting a candle. The price? $290.

In the U.S., the Dallas store of Neiman Marcus, in partnership with Scentbird—the New York-based fragrance subscription service—has taken the in-store experience to a new level. In collaboration with Mind Games, an avant-garde fragrance house inspired by the world of chess, the store introduced a dedicated space for sensory storytelling. The immersive experience, which concluded on May 5, combined the art of board games with perfumery, taking visitors through an olfactory journey where each scent could be experienced in its purest form before discovering its final composition. And there’s more: for a month, Mind Games also hosted guided masterclasses with experts and special events, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the fragrance creation process. Each bottle came with two lab samples of the raw materials used in the formula. “At Mind Games, every detail—from our sculptural bottles to the intricate compositions of our fragrances—is designed to evoke emotion and inspire greatness,” said Creative Director Marianna Shalbaf just before the opening.

The Luxury of Feeling

“Feeling deeply is becoming a form of luxury,” said Alex Hawkins, Strategic Foresight Director at the Future Laboratory, in a recent interview with Forbes. He adds, “More and more brands are integrating diverse experiences into their products and services, focusing on ‘the science behind the sense of awe’—that feeling you get when confronted with something greater than yourself.”