DESTINATION:
FABULOUS
As Associate Design Director at M·A·C Cosmetics, I was tasked with creating a full 360º campaign to launch M·A·C’s new makeup kits found exclusively in Travel-Retail (airport) stores worldwide. This marked the first time M·A·C had dedicated resources to a campaign tailored specifically for the rapidly growing Travel Retail sector. Prior to this, the region had only received broader global campaigns from the Global Creative team, so it was crucial to ensure these new visuals felt distinctly aligned with the unique needs of Travel Retail.
And so, Destination: Fabulous was born– M·A·C’s cheeky take on an in-flight safety video, where M·A·C products are demonstrated as essential tools for avoiding beauty emergencies while traveling. I worked with director Nadia Lee Cohen and production designer Britt Porter to create a custom M·A·C airplane interior, complete with flight attendants in bespoke M·A·C black attire inspired by vintage Mugler collections and classic PanAm uniforms. M·A·C products were shot in-situ with props to create a depth of storytelling about our fabulous, fabricated world– one with a distinctly retro feel, harkening back to the glory days of air travel.
The campaign included an anthem film with several product-centric cutdowns, product-only and on-model hero stills, visual merchandising, social media content, paid digital placements, IRL experiential activations, influencer gift packs and OOH print advertising. Destination: Fabulous was such a hit that it inspired two more installments, and has endured in M·A·C travel-retail stores and online for several years.
Concept, art direction & script: Michael Burk. Add’l copywriting: Lindsay Bishop. Video Director & Stills Photographer: Nadia Lee Cohen. Wardrobe: Soki Mak. Hair & wig styling: Sami Knight. Makeup Lead: Caroline Hernandez. Production Design: Britt Porter (Production Designer) & Zac Friedman (AD). Video Editor: Chrissy Rabe. Sound Designer: Tom Goldblatt. Voice talent: Katie McCauley. Sticker Illustrator: Paul Tuller. Production: Anonymous Content & M·A·C. Filming location: Air Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.
A RETURN TO
FABULOUS
After the huge success of the first Destination: Fabulous campaign, the M·A·C Travel Retail team was eager to keep the momentum going for another season. They turned to Air Paris agency, where I coincidentally happened to be working at the time, and I was beyond excited to help bring the next chapter of this campaign to life.
This time around, M·A·C wanted to stick with the winning formula, but with a fresh twist. We elevated the color palette to a bolder mix of electrifying reds and magentas, introduced vibrant new graphic prints and stickers, and added a fun new character to the cast: a M·A·C pilot, joining the iconic flight attendants. We also teamed up with director Lacey to create a fresh anthem video (with multiple product-specific cutdowns), and collaborated with photographer Matthew Chaves to capture a new set of dynamic, attention-grabbing product images.
The campaign launched globally across airports, social media, digital platforms, visual merchandising, and experiential marketing—continuing to deliver the excitement and energy that made the original so successful.
Client: M·A·C Cosmetics Travel Retail. Agency: Air Paris NYC. Art/Creative Direction: Michael Burk, Bike Bayer & Kaity Wong. Graphic design: Michael Burk. Anthem video & images: Lacey. Video Edit: Mary Carl. Product photography: Matthew Chaves. Animation: Siling Zhao.
Above: M·A·C Destination: Fabulous 2.0, Director’s Cut.
