KOSÉ Malaysia has partnered with digital agency Kingdom Digital to produce ‘Girl Next Door’ mini web series to celebrate the launch of the brand’s new SEKKISEI Clear Wellness range, in conjunction with the latter’s 35th anniversary. Starring renowned personalities Alvin Chong and Jasmine Suraya Chin, this two-part web series was conceptualised and produced by the agency in collaboration with production company, Imagineers Film.
The short film tells a heart-warming love story between two neighbours, Josefine and Alvin. The story starts off with the flamboyant female lead going to great lengths to catch her love interest’s eye, but her efforts were futile – until she embraces the ‘less is more’ concept. However, in the end, Josefine realises that Alvin is the one who has truly been there for her right from the start.
The first episode of the mini web series has been released on KOSÉ Malaysia’s social channels. Watch the first episode on KOSÉ’s Facebook and Instagram. Meanwhile, the second episode will be released today.
According to Edmund Lou, Head of Strategy at Kingdom Digital, the agency is pleased to partner with esteemed skincare brand KOSÉ Malaysia. The campaign objective was to educate consumers on SEKKISEI Clear Wellness’ star ingredient, ITOWA, and demonstrate how simple, natural ingredients can be formulated to help them achieve healthy, clear, and smooth skin.
“We decided on the ‘less is more’ concept as KOSÉ’s latest revamped range is a true personification of minimalism and simplicity. With this, we want to position KOSÉ SEKKISEI Clear Wellness as a brand that upholds the Japanese art of minimalism in both aesthetics and functionality. Working closely with the client, we selected Alvin and Jasmine as the stars of the ‘Girl Next Door’ mini web series as these personalities’ fanbase and followers match KOSÉ’s target audience profiles – especially in terms of the Malay and younger demographics. We believe Malaysians will resonate well with this mini web series, as well as the campaign as a whole,” added Lou.
Reuben Kang, founder and filmmaker at Imagineers Film, shared that their aim was to convey the agency’s ‘less is more’ concept in a way that was relatable and engaging to KOSÉ’s target audience.
“These days we are seeing a shift towards messages of simplifying and removing unnecessary excess in our everyday lives. However, in the beauty world, this minimalistic lifestyle hasn’t exactly caught on – many young women still hold the misconception that heavy makeup is the must-have look. Through the ‘Girl Next Door’ mini web series, we hope to translate this ideal of simplicity and champion that less is, truly, more,” explained Kang.
To drive awareness and evoke consumers’ interest, the campaign will be supported by social postings along with a custom KOSÉ Instagram filter. The filter is currently live, and users can try it by clicking on the ‘Filter’ tab on KOSÉ’s Instagram. Aside from the stars of the web series, a few select influencers will also be promoting this new filter. The campaign will run from 2nd
October – 31st December.
KOSÉ Malaysia believes that when it comes to beauty, less is always more – on par with the Japanese ideals of minimalism and moderation. This is clearly reflected in KOSÉ’s back-to basics skincare regime recommendation: wash, tone, and moisturise. The ‘less is more’ concept has also been infused in SEKKISEI Clear Wellness’ formulation, ingredients, and packaging.
The global skincare brand is always innovating ways to return beauty derived from nature, back to the Earth. For its latest SEKKISEI product range, KOSÉ employs sustainable initiatives such as using bio-based packaging to reduce CO2 emissions as well as reducing the amount of paper and plastic used in its packaging.
Annie Tay, Marketing Manager at KOSÉ Malaysia, shared that this rebranding was spurred by the fact that consumers are now more conscious of products’ ingredients. This has resulted in an increase in the demand for skincare with natural ingredients to achieve healthy skin.
“It was essential that we partner with an agency that understood what our brand stands for and the importance of brand-building. We are delighted to partner with Kingdom Digital who was able to seamlessly transform our objective into an entertaining and relatable web series, while maintaining the essence of SEKKISEI Clear Wellness as the focal point. With the agency’s strategic approach, we will be able to engage more authentically with our audience through down-to-earth messaging and continue accelerating our online visibility,” expressed Tay.
