Schwarzkopf’s holiday campaign: Key takeaways
- Five destinations give five products distinct roles, linking haircare and styling to holiday conditions and local aesthetics
- Salon activations turn sightseeing into product discovery, with AI colour previews, scalp assessments and stamp collection for samples and merchandise
- The campaign builds on Schwarzkopf’s China localisation strategy, extending its earlier city-flower roadshow into travel-themed storytelling
In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday is travel season. Tourists flood major cities and historic sites. Schwarzkopf (施华蔻) wants a slice of the action. To get it, they’ve collaborated with Chinese National Geography magazine (中国国家地理) – no connection to the US National Geographic.
The idea is to bring washing, care, colouring and styling under one travel-themed idea
The campaign, CITY ATTACK 7.0, pairs five haircare and styling products with Chinese destinations. The idea is to bring washing, care, colouring and styling under one travel-themed idea.
Each destination is tied to a role in travellers’ holiday looks. Some connections are practical. Sea breezes in Zhejiang’s Zhoushan islands work as a testing ground for OSiS+ styling spray’s hold claims.
Each destination is tied to a role in travellers’ holiday looks
Dry, windy surroundings at Datong’s Hanging Temple frame the brand’s repair shampoo. Others focus on appearance: raspberry reddish-brown hair dye complements Chongqing’s neon nightscape.
The remaining pairings match ONEPUSH hair dye with Hongcun’s traditional architecture and caviar scalp-care shampoo with Shanghai’s Anfu Road. Beyond scenery, the ads incorporate Schwarzkopf’s head silhouette imagery framed against the landscapes.
Salon activations accompany. Mirrors that use AI to preview a hair-colouring are probably the most attention-grabbing element of these. Scalp assessments and a wind challenge are also part of the package.
None of this would be complete without merch, and Schwarzkopf has linked their merch in a way that doesn’t feel forced
None of this would be complete without merch, and Schwarzkopf has linked their merch in a way that doesn’t feel forced: tourists are encouraged to collect stamps at the salon activations. Those who complete a collection can redeem samples and the merchandise. It’s a nice route between holiday photograph taking and exploring a haircare need.
Dao View: Give the scenery a job
So where does the idea come from? Schwarzkopf has had a long-running interest in local identity. Its 2025 roadshow paired hairstyles with local flowers in 12 Chinese cities. This travel-linked campaign fits that theme nicely. It’s a logical next step and makes a link-up with Chinese National Geography feel right.
