The Challenge
Create a Premium Influencer Experience with an Accelerated Timeline
As Neutrogena prepared to host its inaugural Winter Skin Retreat in Lake Tahoe, the brand sought to create a memorable welcome experience for attending influencers that felt elevated, seasonal, and authentically aligned with the brand.
The event centered around a multi-day, ski-inspired retreat designed to immerse creators in the Neutrogena brand experience while generating social content and engagement. To support the event, the Neutrogena team needed a collection of branded merchandise and curated gifts that would feel relevant to both the destination and the influencer audience.
The challenge was timing.
The MRL Group was engaged less than four weeks before the event, with the project spanning the busy holiday season. The original vision included several custom-designed products, but the compressed schedule required a strategic approach that balanced speed, quality, and brand impact.
In addition to meeting the timeline, every item needed to be visually appealing, social-media friendly, and worthy of becoming part of the event experience itself.
Through strategic sourcing, rapid execution, and thoughtful event merchandising, The MRL Group helped Neutrogena transform its inaugural Winter Skin Retreat into a premium branded experience designed to resonate both on-site and across social media.
MRL Action Plan
Curating a Camera-Ready Winter Retreat Experience
The MRL Group quickly developed a merchandise strategy that prioritized trend-forward products, premium perceived value, and strong visual appeal while remaining achievable within the available production window.
Rather than pursuing fully custom product development that would have jeopardized delivery timelines, the team identified high-impact branded merchandise solutions that could be executed quickly without sacrificing quality or brand alignment.
The final collection included:
- Branded metallic puffer tote bags
- Coordinating branded cosmetic bags
- Ski goggles
- Ski gloves
- Branded earmuffs with custom ribbon labels
- Winter headbands
- Corkcicle drinkware
- Plush comfort items and room-drop gifts
- Branded stickers and event accessories
To support the overall retreat experience, products were strategically incorporated into multiple guest touchpoints throughout the event. Branded puffer totes were displayed as part of the event environment, while cosmetic bags and select gifts were delivered directly to influencer rooms, creating moments of discovery throughout the retreat.
Because of the accelerated timeline, The MRL Group adapted the fulfillment strategy as well. Rather than assembling and shipping individual influencer kits, merchandise was delivered directly to Lake Tahoe for on-site distribution, helping the team meet critical deadlines while maintaining a seamless guest experience.
Throughout the process, The MRL Group managed sourcing, branding, production coordination, and logistics, ensuring all materials arrived event-ready despite the condensed schedule.
The Results
Merchandise That Became Part of the Content
The Winter Skin Retreat merchandise collection helped transform the welcome experience into an extension of the Neutrogena brand story.
By selecting products that aligned with both the ski destination and influencer lifestyle trends, The MRL Group created merchandise that participants naturally incorporated into their retreat experience and social content.
Key outcomes included:
- Successfully delivered a premium merchandise program in less than four weeks, including the holiday season
- Developed an elevated, destination-inspired product assortment aligned with the event theme
- Adapted sourcing and fulfillment strategies to meet aggressive timing requirements
- Created multiple branded touchpoints throughout the guest journey, from room drops to event experiences
- Delivered trend-forward products designed to resonate with influencer audiences
- Extended the visibility of the retreat as merchandise appeared organically in influencer-generated content across social media channels
- Enabled Neutrogena to launch its inaugural Winter Skin Retreat with a cohesive, premium guest experience
By combining strategic sourcing, creative problem-solving, and rapid execution, The MRL Group helped Neutrogena deliver a memorable event experience that lived well beyond the retreat itself through influencer engagement and content creation.
Looking to Create Influencer Experiences That Extend Beyond the Event?
The MRL Group helps brands bring influencer activations, event experiences, and branded merchandise programs to life through trend-forward sourcing, premium product development, production, logistics, and fulfillment.