SK-II | Your Statement. Your Bottle. / Change Destiny Limited Edition | 2017
I Ran as Hard as I Could, and the Energy Just Came Pouring Out / SK-II "Your Statement. Your Bottle."
I couldn't tear my eyes away from this commercial of Haruka Ayase sprinting at full speed through a park in a hoodie and leggings. In one shot, it blew away SK-II's image as a brand for wealthy, beauty-obsessed older women.
The problem
For the 2017 Christmas season, SK-II ran its "Change Destiny Limited Edition" campaign, celebrating women who choose their own destiny. It was rolled out globally, featuring Haruka Ayase from Japan, Sooyoung of Girls' Generation, and Liya Dou from China.
The insight
Looking back on the shoot, Ayase said, "I ended up running flat out without even meaning to. It felt like the energy was coming out of me naturally." Her words line up perfectly with SK-II's core idea that when your skin changes, your life changes too.
The idea
The limited edition bottles were pure white with messages like "DESTINY is a Matter of Choice" engraved in black. Each of the three women held a bottle carrying a different message. The commercial opens with Ayase running at full speed, then cuts back and forth between her innocent smile and her composed, dignified expression. That contrast is what makes it so good.
What happened
The coffret went on sale on 10/21, and Ayase's commercial began airing on 12/1. Liya Dou went on to work with SK-II for five years after this campaign.
Afterthought
There's something irresistible about a prestige cosmetics brand choosing "running"—and not just running, but adding the word "full speed" on top of it. In this digital age, there's something powerful about going old-school and engraving words onto a bottle you hold in your hand.
