Kao Hair Care to Hold Experiential Event "pick pick market presented by KAO HAIR CARE" to Discover Hair Care That Matches Your "Current Mood"

Kao Corporation's hair care brands "melt," "THE ANSWER," and "MEMEME" will hold an experiential event called "pick pick market presented by KAO HAIR CARE" from Thursday, July 9, 2026, to Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at the Yodobashi J6 Building in Harajuku, Tokyo. The event allows visitors to discover hair care products that suit their individuality by using their sensibilities, such as mood and values, as a guide.

This event is an experiential event where visitors can enjoy discovering hair care products that perfectly match their mood and sensibilities. The venue, designed like a supermarket, will feature products representing various moods, such as "I want to relax," "I want to be excited," and "I want to think carefully." As visitors browse the store and intuitively collect items they are drawn to in their baskets, they will ultimately be able to find a hair care brand that perfectly matches their "current mood."

We will deliver a new hair care experience across Kao's three hair care brands, where you choose based on your "sensibilities" rather than being confined by traditional "functions and comparisons."

<Event Overview>

[Period] Thursday, July 9, 2026 - Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM

*Tuesday, July 21 only: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

*Last admission is 30 minutes before closing.

[Venue] Yodobashi J6 Building, 6-35-6 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001

[Access] Directly connected to Meiji-jingumae (Harajuku) Station on the Tokyo Metro; 2-minute walk from JR Harajuku Station.

<Background of the Event>

Kao has been transforming its hair care business since 2024, and as a core part of this, has introduced "Sensibility Marketing." This approach sets brand positions by focusing on consumers' emotional needs in hair care. It is a concept that designs brands from the starting point of emotions, such as "What kind of feeling do we want users to have by using this brand?" rather than solely on specifications like functions and ingredients. "melt," "THE ANSWER," and "MEMEME" are positioned as brands that respond to different emotional needs.

In recent years, for daily shopping, including hair care, it has become easier to compare and consider products from various information sources based on word-of-mouth, reviews, and AI recommendations. However, this has also led to situations where people feel, "There are too many choices, making it difficult to figure out what suits me."

According to a Kao survey, 71.8% of respondents answered, "There are too many pieces of information and choices, making it difficult to know what criteria to use for selection or to make a choice." Furthermore, 69.3% responded that they are "interested in product proposals and purchases based on their current sensibilities, not just comparisons of functions and specifications," indicating a growing need to focus on sensibilities when choosing products. *1

Against the backdrop of these consumer sentiments, Kao's hair care brands aim to provide the "joy of shopping itself" by allowing consumers to choose products not only by comparing hair quality and product functions from various information sources but also by paying attention to their mood, how they spend their day, and their own sensibilities. By crossing over three brands – "melt," "THE ANSWER," and "MEMEME" – which respond to different emotional needs, rather than focusing on a single brand, we offer an experience where each visitor can discover hair care that perfectly suits them from a wider range of emotional choices.

*1 Kao Survey (Internet Research) conducted in 2026 among men and women aged 20-50, N=400.

<Venue Contents>

[Venue Atmosphere]

The venue is designed to combine the familiarity of a supermarket with a fresh, water-evoking atmosphere reminiscent of baths and water areas. While incorporating elements of lightness and pop, like bubbles, the space is designed to highlight the products of the three brands – "melt," "THE ANSWER," and "MEMEME" – making it an event that anyone can easily participate in.

[Hair Care Experience: Choosing by "Current Mood"]

At the venue, you will enjoy an experience of selecting nine items, much like shopping at a supermarket. Through the product selection process, your current mood and values will naturally emerge, and based on your selections, we will propose the perfect hair care brand for you from "melt," "THE ANSWER," and "MEMEME."

Please enjoy the "joy of choosing."

STEP 1 "SELECT"

From the three products lined up on the shelves, intuitively choose the ones that are closest to your current mood or that pique your interest, and place them in your shopping basket.

STEP 2 "SEARCH"

Throughout the venue, sets of three products representing different moods are arranged for each question. Enjoy the venue's atmosphere as you search for the next question, and proceed with your shopping by selecting the items that catch your eye.

STEP 3 "CHECK OUT"

Once you have finished selecting all nine items, proceed to the checkout counter, just like at a supermarket.

This counter is not for payment. Instead, based on the nine items you have chosen, we will introduce you to the hair care brand that perfectly matches your mood from "melt," "THE ANSWER," and "MEMEME." Those who complete the checkout process at the counter will receive a luxurious gift that allows them to enjoy the lingering feeling of the experience at home. *2 Enjoy the "joy of choosing" as if you were shopping at a supermarket.

*2 Gifts for visitors are available while supplies last.

<Image of Products Representing "Mood">

<Image of Gift>

<Initiatives on Amazon.co.jp>

This event is partially linked to initiatives on Amazon.co.jp to help visitors more easily choose hair care products that suit them in their daily lives, inspired by their experience at the venue. We plan to create an experience that connects the encounters at the event venue not only to the moment but also to future hair care choices.

For details, please visit:

www.amazon.co.jp/kaopickpick

◇ "melt" Brand Site:

https://meltbeauty.jp/?cid=melt_prtimes260630

◇ "THE ANSWER" Brand Site:

https://www.theanswer-official.com/?cid=theanswer_prtimes260630

◇ "MEMEME" Brand Site:

https://mememe-official.jp/?cid=mememe_prtimes260630