CHINA. Augmented reality and gamified skincare experiences converge with a big social purpose at global prestige skincare brand SK-II’s first-ever ‘Social Retail’ pop-up store at China Duty Free Group’s Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haitang Bay and Haikou Mova Shopping Mall, opened on 1 May.
In partnership with China Duty Free Group (CDFG), the SK-II ‘Social Retail’ pop-up store is inspired by #ChangeDestiny – SK-II’s brand purpose – and ‘VS’, the new six-part animated anthology series from SK-II STUDIO.
As reported, SK-II STUDIO is the prestige skincare brand’s first film studio and content hub. It is dedicated to tackling social pressures that women face.
The initiative marks a new milestone in SK-II’s global innovation journey to transform beauty and skincare retail experiences in a safe, engaging and meaningful way in these unprecedented times.
Centred around the concept of ‘The Line is the Ride’, the SK-II ‘Social Retail’ pop-up store immerses visitors in the cinematic universe of the animated anthology series. Through a WeChat Mini Program, visitors can transport themselves into the world of ‘VS’ with just a click on their mobile phones.
They will be able to watch the ‘VS’ films and participate in larger-than-life animated augmented reality experiences – battling an underwater ‘kaiju’ (‘beast’) alongside their favourite Olympic athlete Liu Xiang as they wait in line.
Upon entering, visitors can enjoy a personalised skin analysis with SK-II’s latest contactless skincare counselling innovation – the Mini Magic Scan.
SK-II’s Mini Magic Scan is an AI-enabled skin analysis tool that allows visitors to gain understanding of their skin strengths and potential, unlock their skin age as well as receive personalised skin analysis and product recommendations in just three minutes.
No direct facial contact is needed as the technology can detect fluctuation of skin at pixel level and assess the stability of skin by homing in on three zones – eye, cheeks and mouth using facial recognition.
Compared to previous incarnations, the latest SK-II Mini Magic Scan is smaller and more convenient.
SK-II has also launched exclusively designed Special Edition Collectible Pins at the Hainan store. The Special Edition Pins are complimentary (while stocks last) for every visitor who signs in on the SK-II Hainan WeChat Mini Program.
Talking to a new generation of consumers
The SK-II ‘Social Retail’ pop-up store is part of the brand’s ongoing foray into retail innovation centred on a global transformation to connect with a new generation of consumers who yearn for more meaningful experiences with the brands they know and trust.
As a ‘global learning lab’ to explore new ways of retail through advanced technology in real-world retail formats, SK-II has launched several Future X Smart Stores in Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, in departmental stores, pop-ups, travel retail and even at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and China International Import Expo (CIIE).
Through creating engaging ‘phygital’ skincare experiences, SK-II hopes to take the intimidation and pressure out of shopping for skincare in the offline retail space and give control back to the consumer by giving her options to browse, shop and learn about her skin at her own pace and on her own terms, in a safe, engaging yet meaningful way.
“#CHANGEDESTINY is at the heart of our brand purpose at SK-II. For years, we have celebrated how destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice through the stories of courageous women around the world. This year, we want to further our commitment towards our brand purpose and bring this to more consumers in new and meaningful ways,” said Global SK-II Chief Executive Officer Sandeep Seth.
“We are thrilled to launch SK-II’s first ‘Social Retail’ pop-up store in Hainan inspired by our brand purpose #ChangeDestiny and the newest instalment by SK-II STUDIO – the ‘VS’ series – marking yet another first in our partnership with China Duty Free Group.
“Engagement in the beauty and skincare category has generally been tactile in nature – what you can see, touch, feel. In these times of the pandemic, we want to provide our consumers contactless, gamified experience where she can gain inspiration and learn about her skin in a safe yet engaging way.”
[Click on the YouTube icon to see the official trailer for the ‘VS’ Series. We will be showing all six episodes in full on our homepage and in a special edition of The Moodie Davitt Spotlight Series dedicated to the Hainan collaboration.]
