Why Gen Z is so important to SK-II and its 'Pitera & Me' campaign

Recently, SK-II launched its Pitera & Me campaign, featuring global Gen Z celebrities Mina, Ayaka Miyoshi, Zhang Zifeng, and Leah Dou Jingtong who teamed up with the brand to promote the regular use of their famously patented Pitera skincare products, while showing some of their own personality as well. 

Sue Kyung Lee, Global CEO of SK-II at Procter & Gamble, shared her insights about the campaign and marketing efforts towards Gen Z.

Lee tells Campaign it was important that all the brand ambassadors be “real passionate users,” while demonstrating “living proof” of the brand’s promise to clear skin. Of course, their popularity with young audiences doesn't hurt either. New brand ambassador Zhang Zifeng, for example, just joined the SK-II family and represents the new generation of young Chinese stars born after 2000. Leah Dou Jingtong, meanwhile, is young pop star in China born in the late 1990s who has been working with the SK-II family for five years since her initial festive 2017 campaign, 'Your Statement Your Bottle'.

SK-II's latest effort, Pitera & Me, is a bit different. The brand describes it as a new “self-directed, real, unscripted, and raw” campaign. According to Lee, the video was filmed 24/7 in a vacation house, and “the brand ambassadors went completely bare-skinned and got up close and personal in ways that are authentic to their interests and personalities,” while also trying Pitera Essence.

For the first time, SK-II “incorporated the concept of ‘self-care’” into the Pitera & Me films, Lee says, explaining that ‘self-care’ became top of mind for Gen Z during the pandemic. “We know taking a moment for self-care to recharge, relax and refresh is important,” Lee says. 

Lee also mentioned that the idea of filming a brand ambassador story in a vacation house “was partly inspired by the authentic style of reality shows like Terrace House” as well as social media posts shared by Gen Z on Tiktok/Douyin and Instagram.

That is the reason why the brand argues the Pitera and Me campaign “was made for Gen Z, by Gen Z” through inviting Gen Z brand ambassadors and genuine users to tell the brand story in a Gen Z way of social media posting and sharing.

Lee believes that Gen Z is so important to SK-II because they “represent the next generation of prestige beauty and skincare consumers.” Lee considers the campaign as a way of learning about the new generation, “her preferences, wants and needs—so we can best serve and delight her with superior products, brand content, and experiences that are even more relevant and meaningful to her.”