SHISEIDO WASO Official Instagram

Containing high-quality ingredients derived from nutrients found in Japanese cuisine, washoku-inspired skincare brand WASO finds its roots in Japanese culture. To effectively communicate that essence to their targeted audience, the 2019 AW Campaign aimed to reinforce WASO’s brand philosophy to further engage a global audience. Targeting demographics spanning from younger Millennials to Gen Z, we developed a revitalized communication and creative branding strategy primarily focused on Instagram.

The 2019 AW YAKUMIX product launch campaign was inspired by colorful traditional Japanese spices and dishes such as wasabi and momiji oroshi (a traditional side dish of grated white radish and chili pepper. While there are many well-known and popular symbols of traditional Japanese culture, to better connect and sympathize with our target audience, we decided to focus on expressing the “Character of Contemporary Japan.” We found inspiration in “karuta”, a Japanese game which is not well-known overseas, as a creative motif to evoke a globally-minded, pop, and modern aesthetic.

Instagram: In addition to brand and product visuals, our campaign strategy also included collaborating with various influencers, producing “karuta”-inspired content, and CG content. By diversifying the type of content, the six-month long 2019 AW campaign is able to continually engage and involve the target audience with the YAKUMIX concept.

Brand Movie: In accordance with our creative concept, the brand movie we produced was inspired by karuta, a game that is well-known in Japan. The video features two cast members playing their own version of a skincare karuta match based off WASO’s step-free skincare.

Key Visuals: While expressing both the power of simple ingredients and a pop-modern aesthetic which uses Japanese ingredients as inspiration, we focused on producing a colorful and playful aesthetic that could draw in a younger audience.