“We glammed up the shower photo moment with whimsical versions of typical shower elements that gave it all an unmistakably OGX touch,” said Berg-Hammond. “The floating bubbles were carefully suspended transparent balloons, and the ‘water’ pouring from the shower head was made of iridescent beads. The effect was perfectly playful and beautiful, creating a fun atmosphere for guests to pose, move around and capture content.”Photo: Ben Draper Photography
LOS ANGELES—With their signature rounded bottles in bright colors, OGX Beauty products are hard to miss on store shelves. So it only makes sense that the brand's events and activations are just as eye-catching as its products.
“There is so much personality and heart in the OGX brand, and that really comes through in 'IRL' events," explained Lydia Berg-Hammond, senior creative strategist at MKG, an experiential agency that's worked with the haircare brand on a number of recent activations. "All of their marketing efforts reflect their values of self-love, confidence and self-expression—but there’s a very special magic that happens when people get the opportunity to experience those values in person, play, ask questions and really get to know the brand."
Both the brand and MKG had those core tenants in mind when working on their latest partnership, OGX Beauty's "Love Labs" activation, which went down at Santa Monica Place from Feb. 25-26. The colorful space aimed to show guests the science behind the brand’s formulas—while also giving attendees moments to celebrate their own hair.
“OGX wanted to give guests a look into the science behind their formulas and the innovative ingredients that make them a leader in hair care," said Berg-Hammond. "Love always leads for OGX, so the experience offered plenty of moments for guests to love and celebrate their hair—but this event was also about learning what goes into the formulas, what role the ingredients play and why they’re better for your hair.” 
The colorful space aimed to show guests the science behind the brand’s formulas—while also giving attendees moments to love and celebrate their own hair. “To balance those objectives, we split the event into two parts, focusing more on self love and celebration in the ‘Love It’ room, while offering a more formula-focused, playful science demo in the ‘Learn It’ room,” explained MKG senior creative strategist Lydia Berg-Hammond, who served as the project lead on the activation.Photo: Ben Draper Photography
Highlights included a memorable photo op, where guests could pose in a shower among suspended, transparent balloon "bubbles" and a shower head with a stream of iridescent beads. There were also cocktails served in beakers, plus food and drinks that incorporated OGX product ingredients like mint, coconut and white tea. To further showcase the products, guests could enjoy science demos and do a quick pH test. 
To further tie into the “Love Labs” theme, cocktails were served in beakers. In a fun touch, each of the cocktails and hors d’oeuvres featured at least one OGX signature ingredient, such as mint, coconut, white tea, coffee, papaya or blood orange.Photo: Ben Draper Photography
“We are very proud of the attention to detail within the propping, florals and real OGX ingredients," said Berg-Hammond. "Featuring the products in their iconic OGX bottles was a given, but we felt it was important to go above and beyond to bring in real fruits, flowers, oils and even real Argan nuts! These fresh elements helped create a sensory experience within the pop-up, bringing the products to life and illustrating OGX’s ongoing commitment to quality ingredients.”
In addition to the installation, OGX and MKG teamed up with bike rental service Joy Ride. Activation guests and passersby who showed proof of an OGX purchase received complimentary rentals on branded OGX bikes.
"The excitement to 'get back out there' is so strong right now, and with events like the OGX Car Wash, Governor’s Ball activation and 'Love Labs,' it’s clear how well-suited a fresh, youthful and love-fueled brand like OGX is to engage with that excitement and energy," said Berg-Hammond.
Check out the list of partners involved in the activation, and keep scrolling for more details and a look inside.
VENDORS
Audio: Stories Illuminated
Bike Rentals: Joy Ride Santa Monica Tours
Catering: Contemporary Catering
Creative Agency: MKG
Fabrication: Pink Sparrow
Graphics: The Atwater Art Company
Photography: Ben Draper
PR: Bold PR
Staffing: Perfect 10 Promotions
Talent: AKT Agency
Venue: Santa Monica Place
Videography: Christvin
![In addition to the installation, OGX and MKG teamed up with bike rental service Joy Ride to offer complimentary bike rentals on branded OGX bikes. Berg-Hammond said this was a natural partnership due to the activation's proximity to the bustling Santa Monica Pier. “We wanted to connect with [passersby] and offer something special, courtesy of OGX. We thought of doing a partnership with a bike rental service, as that's so popular on the beach path there, and Joy Ride was just a perfect partner,” she said. “We were able to brand their truck with big OGX graphics, outfit the bikes with custom signage and position our brand ambassadors by the beach path with eye-catching signage.”](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2022/03/MKG_OGX_Ben_Draper_100.622bae8d96bbf.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
“We wanted to connect with [passersby] and offer something special, courtesy of OGX. We thought of doing a partnership with a bike rental service, as that's so popular on the beach path there, and Joy Ride was just a perfect partner,” she said. “We were able to brand their truck with big OGX graphics, outfit the bikes with custom signage and position our brand ambassadors by the beach path with eye-catching signage.”
