Our team asked the client an uncomfortable question: what exactly do we want – revolution or evolution? If revolution, long-time female shoppers might not recognise 'their' store and would leave. If evolution, the risk was that the event would pass unnoticed and the new format would not be remembered.

The answer was found in the formula 'neoclassical plus neon'. Keep the classic elements – convenience, assortment, familiar categories, trust. Then overlay a layer of neon, technology, and emotion on top of the classic. This became the ideological backbone of the concept.

One word solved three tasks at once – announcing the opening, describing the format, and establishing the campaign's visual code. From this, everything else grew: pink and blue neon, an oversized butterfly as a navigation landmark at the entrance, a neon window installation, neon shopping carts inside the store. The visual code could be read from the street, from a bus window, from a passer-by's phone screen.

The team did not try to turn a drogerie store into a nightclub. The neon worked selectively: on the window, on the carts, on the entrance installation, on the promo models' outfits. Inside, the sales floor itself remained the familiar M Cosmetic with clear navigation and standard merchandising. This is evolution: the new is recognised from the first second but does not disrupt habit.

They circulated near Kuzminki, Okskaya, and Ryazansky Prospekt metro stations, boarded public transport stops, talked about the new store, and handed out invitations.

On opening day, a reporter with a microphone and camera operator worked in the neighbourhood. They took short interviews with passers-by and store guests: what they knew about M Cosmetic, how they liked the new format, what surprised them most. Some of the footage went into a recap video for the brand's social media.

The guest enters, gets lost, does one or two laps, and leaves. The Sichkar Group team structured the mechanics according to the customer journey: from entrance to checkout and back around.

At the entrance, guests were greeted by a host and a DJ. The host set the event's pace, announced prize draws, and spoke with customers. The DJ worked in parallel – background electronic music set the rhythm of the space. This was the first touchpoint with the new format: the store sounded different from an ordinary neighbourhood drogerie.

Children approached it first; parents followed. The robot had one task: to break the psychological barrier of 'it's just a store' and immediately show that something unusual was happening here.

M Cosmetic branded graphics, category animations, campaign imagery. The content looped for 8 hours without repetition.

The prize could only be revealed at the checkout – and only with a purchase above the campaign threshold. A promoter took a UV flashlight, shone it on the back of the card, and the text appeared: a branded bag, sticker pack, key fob, phone strap, or butterfly hair clip. After the prize was handed out, the card was cancelled with a branded butterfly stamp to prevent reuse.

In parallel with the card prizes, the host conducted hourly draws for limited-edition beauty boxes. The card number entered the draw; the winner was announced in the hall, and the box was handed over on the spot. This kept guests in the store longer – leaving before the next draw felt like a missed opportunity.