‘The Holiday Magic Tale’: Prada reveals landmark Pentarchy activation at Copenhagen Airport

This December, Prada Beauty is redefining the holiday season experience by inviting travelers into its ‘Holiday Magic Tale’ at Copenhagen Airport.

Created in partnership with Heinemann, Copenhagen Airport, SAS, and Bauer Media Group, this multi-touchpoint activation blends Prada’s refined aesthetic with a playful holiday narrative, positioning the brand as one of the standout brands in European travel retail this season.  

According to L'Oréal Travel Retail, the Pentarchy strategy enables Prada to create a seamless travelers’ journey, from pre-trip planning to immersive in-airport touchpoints. “Breaking silos within the travel ecosystem through collaboration with retailers, airports, and airlines ensures a cohesive and immersive experience, with the goal of strengthening visibility, engagement and conversion during the peak gifting period.”

This powerful Pentarchy delivered tangible results, driving an impressive +27% more traffic than classic pop-ups and a +16% boost in Perfumes & Cosmetics traffic. Travelers engaged for an average of 8 minutes in store – a significant achievement given precious dwell time - demonstrating the activation's strong appeal and ability to captivate even the busiest travelers.  

A full-funnel partnership powered by data and targeted storytelling

The campaign leveraged SAS’s CRM database and advanced Meta targeting tools to deliver personalized recommendations to confirmed travelers, tailored by nationality and gender. Influencer collaborations further amplified the activation, showcasing the festive universe of Prada Beauty to a wider audience and driving anticipation ahead of travel.

At the airport, a large-scale media takeover orchestrated with Bauer Media guided travelers toward the central pop-up podium situated in the Heinemann Duty Free store. Digital screens displayed dynamic festive content, while complementary paid media activity on Meta and TikTok targeted passengers’ pre-departure to ensure consistent brand recall online and offline.

 A captivating podium brings Prada’s ‘Holiday Magic Tale’ to life

Upon entering the Heinemann Duty Free store, travelers are greeted by a spectacular “Holiday Magic Tale” concept featuring a podium dressed in elevated Prada codes, Prada Soft Robots and a statement holiday tree.

Within this environment, passengers can explore the full Prada Beauty universe, including fragrances, that can be adorned with a unique, traveler-selected pattern, alongside makeup and skincare. Highlights include the latest masculine launch Prada Paradigme, the brand’s feminine icon Paradoxe and the brand’s famous balms.

The activation also features an engaging Prada photobooth, allowing travelers to capture a festive souvenir alongside the Prada Soft Robot. Visitors can also enjoy an exclusive selection of holiday gifts, including Prada Beauty Christmas ornaments presented in the brand’s distinctive seasonal pattern.  

Extending the festive journey to the boarding gate

The holiday animation continues beyond Heinemann Duty Free with a takeover of Copenhagen Airport’s central Christmas tree. Fully reimagined by Prada Beauty, the tree features sophisticated ornaments and a starring appearance by the Prada Robot, ensuring a strong final brand imprint as travelers head toward boarding.

The activation shows strong passenger engagement, high social media interaction rates, and incredible uplift in sales, demonstrating the power of a strategically designed, multi-touchpoint brand presence.

The Prada Pentarchy Christmas activation at CPH exemplifies a broader shift in travel retail toward experiential, narrative-driven consumer journeys. For the first time in Copenhagen, an immersive pop up meets a digital takeover and a whimsical festive spirit, Prada delivers an experience to remember this holiday season.  

Inken Callsen, CCO Gebr. Heinemann, said, “From the very beginning, we at Gebr. Heinemann were excited to shape and bring this unique initiative to life with five strong partners. The Prada activation at Copenhagen Airport truly demonstrates the strategic power of the Pentarchy model. We created a connected journey that blends data-driven personalization with immersive touchpoints – making every step more engaging, convenient, and memorable for passengers. Our longstanding partnership and outstanding collaboration with L’Oréal have been key to this success.”  

Britta Hoffmann, Director Purchasing Beauty, added, "Through targeted storytelling combined with a festive and elevated brand universe, we designed a seamless experience that strengthens engagement and conversion during the peak holiday season. The Prada activation in Copenhagen illustrates how Pentarchy unlocks new potential for the beauty category in travel retail.”

Simon De Gaullier Des Bordes, General Manager Couture Brands (YSL Beauty / Miu Miu Beauty / Prada Beauty), commented, “In a beauty ecosystem where consumers move seamlessly from one channel to another, the future of Travel Retail belongs to companies that collaborate and innovate to deliver end-to-end consumer journeys – journeys that are consistent, immersive, and anchored in a strong sense of place and time. Only by creating 100% exciting and memorable experiences can Travel Retail and brands truly grow awareness, engagement, and conversion.”