M•A•C DAZZLE
M•A•C DAZZLE New York City
Experiential Conception, Development, Design, ExecutionImmersive multi-room installation and hands‑on product discovery experience.
THE UMBRELLA was engaged by M·A·C Cosmetics to stage a product/influencer launch that heroed the refreshed DAZZLE eye lineup and introduced DAZZLELIPS Crayon to creators, artists, KOLs, and ELC leadership in New York City.
We answered with a fully transformative world optimized for self‑capture: a progression of immersive, art‑driven rooms inspired by Team Labs–style environments and volumetric light-leveraging reflection, refraction, and diffraction throughout. At the heart, a custom AUTOM•A•C centerpiece functioned as an irresistible product tractor beam, interactively vending shades to encourage trial and social sharing.
Guests entered through a shimmer‑wall step‑and‑repeat, then into a moody lounge of sculptural seating islands, rugs, and custom fabric chandeliers.
DJ Queen Niks played from an “exploded disco‑ball” booth with subtle M·A·C Dazzle brand projection, while a full bar and passed savory/sweet bites anchored the room. A luminous light tunnel drew guests onward, cueing exploration of the five‑room corridor of installations.
A custom AUTOM•A•C unit - our modern take on the NYC automat - showcased the full DAZZLE universe across 20 illuminated cabinets. Two‑way mirrored, hinge‑back panels concealed gloved attendants for instant restock; guest‑facing windows featured iridescent glazing, chrome pulls, embedded LED neon, and dynamic digital cards matched to shade and formula. Two professional makeup vanities enabled artist‑applied trials nearby.
The AUTOM•A•C worked like a magnet: guests clustered to sample, swatch, and be “vended” a shade by a white‑gloved hand; an unexpected, theatrical micro‑moment that amplified content capture.
M·A·C artists and ambassadors guided selection and application, keeping the unit active all night while ensuring product was continuously replenished behind the two‑way mirror.
Part display, part performance: behind a two‑way mirror, white‑gloved attendants instantly “vended” fresh shades as iridescent windows, chrome pulls, and shade‑specific screens turned the unit into living signage.
Two illuminated vanities staffed by M·A·C artists closed the loop—shade‑match, layer, and try on (including the new DAZZLELIPS Crayon), then capture and share.
Immersive Installation: The Dazzle Field
Floor‑to‑ceiling transparent organza scrim spanned the gallery, turning projection into layered, dimensional light. Generative visuals washed across multiple planes to create a kinetic, prismatic volume guests could move through. A dedicated capture team directed short motion portraits and delivered 15‑second clips via instant post, ready for socials in seconds.
Immersive Installation: Disco Constellation
A pyramid of mirrored disco balls became a projection‑mapped sculpture, scattering light across the room in a mesmerizing field. We amplified both IRL and on‑camera effects with branded diffraction glasses, turning every angle into a shareable shimmer.
Immersive Installation: Mirror Dimension
At corridor’s end, a wall‑to‑ceiling grid of mylar cubes created a convex mirror effect, finished with branded M·A·C and DAZZLE neon and a mirrored floor. The corner became a gravitational UGC zone, an infinite, photogenic shimmer box that guests returned to throughout the night.
Immersive Installation: Astrologer
A custom‑scenic salon hosted a professional astrologer reading each guest’s chart. Sessions concluded with a printed horoscope + natal chart on M·A·C DAZZLE‑branded stock (generated via proprietary software) so guests left with a personalized keepsake of the night.
A quiet, luminous retreat: cosmic projections, a halo glow, and a mirrored pedestal framed intimate readings that felt mystic yet modern.
Each guest departed with a custom‑printed M·A·C DAZZLE natal‑chart “receipt” - a personalized keepsake designed to be saved and shared.
Client
Estée Lauder Companies / M•A•C Cosmetics
Creative Agency & Production
THE UMBRELLA
Photography
BFA — Brendon Cook
BFA — Jason Crowley
Josh Sobel
GP Selvaggio
Videography
Lucas Asensi
When
October, 2025
Where
New York City
Services
Creative Direction
Project & Event Management
Event Production
Location Scouting
Print & Graphics
Technical Direction
Content Capture & Post-Production
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