Why is this work relevant for Media?

SK-II is a Japanese-born global skincare brand committed to help women change their destiny. We launched SK-II STUDIO™, a content production company dedicated to tackling social-pressures impacting women using the power of human stories. But we did not stop at content creation. From seeding that led to the organic reach of our content through to the timing and targeting of paid media messages and activations, we turned content into a true mass media event that elevated athlete sponsorship to new levels, clearly cementing SK-II as a pioneer in “Fempowerment” and THE force for female good even when everything seems lost.

Background

SK-II believes in the power of storytelling to influence culture, overcome social biases and create positive change. The brand’s purpose is to help millions of women change their destiny by standing up to the pressures and expectations that are pushed on them every-day, as pressure should never dictate choices. Over the years #CHANGEDESTINY campaigns have inspired millions, focusing on evolving and controversial topics like marriage pressures and societal expectations women face globally. As part of its sponsorship of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics SK-II was due to launch a global campaign, but as the athletes were in final stages of training, the world was hit by a global pandemic that put the Games on pause. When the Olympics were rescheduled to 2021, SK-II had to pivot from their original Olympics theme to adapt to the new circumstances and a changed world, taking the “Change Destiny” journey on a new route.

Describe the creative idea / insights (30% of vote)

We realized that in societies where people held-back their true feelings (typically women in Asia), the pandemic had further accentuated this issue. Social pressures and expectations on women were even more heightened as they had to balance work and family, juggling work from home and kids home-schooling. In addition, the social isolations and physical quarantines accompanied by the explosion of time spent online, especially on social-media, had a severe toll on mental health with external pressures building up an enemy from within and leading to growing image obsession and in extreme cases even to depression and suicides. True to our #ChangeDestiny moto we would stand-up to the external forces and pressures that are pushed on women every day and even more so during Covid. We would support her in her internal struggles and help her confront her inner demons to help her realize destiny is her choice, not society’s chance.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Change Destiny is at the core of SK-II’s longstanding messaging which aims to help connect with its target audience of young adult women on an emotional level around real issues impacting their confidence. In the midst of the global pandemic we would establish SK-II Studio™, a film production house dedicated to tackling social pressures impacting women. Bringing together world-renowned film-makers, animators, musicians and content-creators we will use the power of long-form storytelling and the combination of real-life footage with animation to bring to life the internal struggles caused by external forces, with imagination, authenticity and sensitivity as well as the passion to inspire positive change. SK-II Studio™ film releases would emulate the orchestration best practices of major global movie launches with star-studded premieres, teaser events in central locations world-wide and behind the scenes footage to spark and drive conversations around social pressures and the consequential inner struggles women are undergoing.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

“Vs.”, our Olympics-themed anthology inspired women to take charge of their own destiny with different episodes that interpret the personal journey of SK-II sponsored athletes changing their destiny while under intense scrutiny. Combining animation and real-life footage each episode explores overcoming societal pressures like trolling, beauty rules, image obsession and self-doubt, all dramatically brought to life as a “kaiju”, a Japanese monster, representing an inner demon the athletes must defeat to pursue their destiny. The teaser event in New-York’s Times-Square featured Olympic gymnast Simone Biles in person and on screens, followed up by a star-studded premiere and a teaser campaign. The series was released worldwide in conjunction with the debut of immersive social retail pop-up stores as well as “SKII City” a unique digital experience where one can watch “Vs.” in our virtual cinema and take a backstage-tour to witness the making of.

List the results (30% of vote)

SK-II’s campaign proved its deep cultural relevance in an unplanned manner when gymnast Simone Biles captured the world’s attention upon withdrawing from Olympic competitions due to mental-health demons, only to come back to win a medal and show how you can #changedestiny. “Vs.” touched the hearts of millions to become the most successful #ChangeDestiny Campaign of all times! Amassing 1.4 Billion Views globally, overwhelming positive consumer sentiment (99%) and outstanding engagement from consumers. • 970 organic PR stories globally across top publications! • Launch premieres delivering record breaking viewership/engagement. • Close to 1 MM consumers engaged in social media conversations. • “VS” ranked among the top 6 Weibo Movies in China! • Pop-up stores launch delivered 50% incremental traffic and 15% incremental new users, being recognized as Best-In-Class design from both customers and consumers, growing +7 pts ahead of FY20-21 growth. The campaign resulted in global SK-II sales growing +11%!