Cosmetics and wellbeing goods manufacturer and retailer, L’Occitane en Provence, has launched a virtual holiday store, developed by Emperia and designed in partnership with artist Steven Wilson. Set up in a cozy chalet within the Provençal French Alps, the virtual experience reflects the brand’s focus on the joy of giving and sharing, allowing guests to discover its limited edition holiday ranges, alongside a learning journey into L’Occitane’s recycling initiatives.

Packed with user interactivity and product discovery, the experience’s layout allows for easy exploration of gift finding, with products being conveniently distributed by budget, with five distinct product areas: Advent Calendar, Holidays Limited Edition Collection, Gift Sets, Fragrances, and Santa’s Wish List.

The experience teaches guests about the art of gift wrapping. Scattered around the space, they will find gift wrapping elements. As they locate each item, they are presented with different personalization options (i.e. tissue paper, box patterns, etc.). Upon completion of the mini-game, an animation shows the guest their customized box, rewarding them with a special L’Occitane Christmas reward.

The holiday collection designs have been created in partnership with Steven Wilson, a UK-based artist whose illustrations are meant to reflect joy, with retro yet contemporary design. Wilson has previously worked with brands including Nike, The Oscars, Virgin and MTV.

Stepping outdoors, each guest is greeted by a magical Christmas experience, with an Olive tree that guests can light up themselves. The Provencal Christmas tree, a millenary tree symbolizing joy, strength and togetherness, is also the spot where guests can create their own personalized postcard, containing their curated product wish list, to send to their loved ones.

“We’re incredibly proud of this virtual experience that immerses our customers in the enchanting holiday spirit,” said L’Occitane Middle East Marketing Director, Mariana Rodrigues. “It’s a dream journey, like being in a chalet, where they can explore the true origins of L’Occitane as a brand. The olive tree is symbolic and traditional for Provence, so our vision was to bring back those traditions to our customers. The holiday season is pure magic, and we want our customers to experience the enchantment of L’Occitane and Provence.”