Webby Awards 2025 ‘AI, Immersive & Games Best Brand Integration’ and ‘AI, Immersive & Games Retail & Shopping’ Nominee
A richly detailed campaign extension combining immersive storytelling, gamification, and Ecommerce in a captivating virtual world.
It all started with 12 lipsticks in 1994.
30 years later, NARS celebrates its momentous anniversary with the launch of Explicit Lipstick.
Conceived and released to coincide with their 30th Anniversary, the launch of Explicit Lipstick marked a significant milestone for the brand, the unveiling their Global Brand Ambassadors, Ciara, Pom Klementieff, and Camila Morrone. To commemorate this monumental moment, the brand wanted to scale the reach of their Global real-world events in select NARS markets to beauty lovers around the globe.
Maison Explicit played tribute to the brand’s New York City roots and translated the Explicit Lipstick campaign film, event designs, and rich brand history into a dynamic global virtual experience that combined storytelling, gamification, and Ecommerce.
The Experience.
Starting at street level visitors embarked on an unforgettable journey from the streets of Explicit NYC to the Virtual Boutique, through the alluring rooms of Maison Explicit, and finally ending at an exclusive VIP rooftop after party.
Visitors were guided throughout the experience via the Dirty Talk Phones—named after a shade of Explicit Lipstick—featuring immersive audio and narrative storytelling from NARS’ Global Brand Ambassadors.
The NARS Power Players—a trio of groundbreaking virtual brand ambassadors—Chelsea, Sissi, and Maxine, made their return for the third time as non-playable characters (NPCs), donning new makeup looks inspired by Explicit Lipstick.
The Boutique.
Inspired by real-world NARS boutiques, visitors of the Virtual Boutique were invited to engage with interactive 3D Explicit Lipsticks, enjoy ASMR audio that simulated the click of closing the luxe packaging, and watch beauty tutorials.
Thanks to the seamless iFrame integration, they could also use NARS’ Virtual Try-On tool to test shades and purchase directly within the experience.
The Maison.
For the Maison Explicit space, Journee created a lavishly decorated urban chateau that included three bespoke rooms inspired by NARS Global Brand Ambassadors—Ciara, Pom Klementieff, and Camila Morrone—and the Explicit Lipstick campaign film.
Each room offered a distinct experience including immersive audio, interactive elements, and hidden details that expanded the Explicit campaign narrative and invited all visitors to unleash their superstar, rebel, and style chameleon.
The Climax.
Once an Explicit Lipstick collectible was retrieved from all three rooms, visitors unlocked localized rewards and gained access to the VIP After Party where they could enjoy a red carpet moment, virtual fireworks display, and a private screening of exclusive behind-the-scenes content featuring Ciara, Pom, and Camila.
Details
No Excuses. No Regrets. Be Explicit.
From immersive audio guided narratives to interactive vignettes from the campaign film, virtual AR enabled shopping enhanced by ASMR audio, and even a cameo appearance by the NARS Power Players, the Maison Explicit experience successfully scaled the launch of Explicit Lipstick and engaged beauty lovers across the globe.
In their words:
“Building in Unreal Engine, an industry-leading gaming engine, enabled us to build a more ‘metaversal’ next-generation experience that included dynamic gamification and stunning high-fidelity photorealistic 3D graphics. The addition of our immersive soundscape and narrative audio guide featuring our Global Brand Ambassadors, represents a major leap forward for the brand, creating a more engaging and sensory-rich experience for the NARS community.”
– Gabrielle Archambault
NARS Executive Director, Global Digital Innovation & Media
“One of the smartest things about Maison Explicit is the seamless opportunity for purchase within the experience alongside the advantages of the AR try-on facility for the consumer.”
– Stephanie Hirschmiller
Forbes
COMPANY: Journee
