SITUATION
Olive Young Festa, Korea's first beauty festival, had established itself as the nation's premier beauty & health festival. However, its unique identity was weakening as other brands imitated its festival format.
We determined that the existing Olive Young Festa struggled to expand customer coverage due to its closed-off spaces and ticket-customer-centric operations. Furthermore, its focus on giveaway distribution activities resulted in a lack of overall brand experience.
We aimed to solidify Olive Young Festa's position as the undisputed top beauty festival in Korea and create a truly unique beauty festival by completely transforming the event format.
SOLUTION
First, to transform the isolated convention-style environment into a festival atmosphere, we pioneered Korea's first ‘outdoor’ beauty festival. By shifting the event from December to May, we emphasized Olive Young's green color through the image of a festival held on verdant Nodul Island during warmer months. Allowing public participation in some events further amplified its festival significance.
Second, we shifted from scheduled sessions to an ALL-DAY format and planned ‘booth-based experiential events’ to strengthen Olive Young brand immersion. Instead of one-way product promotion, we conveyed brand value through diverse customer-participation events at each booth. Adding talk concerts and busking performances, we created ‘beautytainment’ beyond a mere beauty festival.
Third, while scaling up to become the largest beauty festival and outdoor event, we did not overlook the details. Preparing for the unpredictable May weather, we implemented rain and heat countermeasures. We also pre-planned all operational aspects, including strategies for managing the massive crowds expected to gather, ensuring high customer satisfaction.
RESULTS
The number of visitors to the 2025 Olive Young Festa reached 33,000, nearly doubling compared to the previous event (2023). Social media mentions increased by 27.3%, and searches for participating brands surged by 240%. Unlike previous Festas dominated by reviews of freebies, 2025 saw a variety of photos shared—featuring the festival space and people enjoying games—demonstrating customers' successful Olive Young brand experiences.
Brands responded positively to the new format, with a record 108 brands participating. During the event, some brands recorded transaction amounts 380% higher than the previous month. The 2025 Olive Young Festa, which saw continuous demand for additional tickets, set a new all-time attendance record and served as a pivotal hub for K-Beauty's leap into overseas markets.
