Turning views from its SK-II STUDIO films into action to further its brand purpose #CHANGEDESTINY, global prestige skincare brand SK-II activates its #CHANGEDESTINY fund to support Japanese women entrepreneurs and small business owners in Tokyo impacted by the pandemic.
With SK-II’s launch of SK-II STUDIO, SK-II has set up a #CHANGEDESTINY Fund. The fund contributes US$1 for every view garnered on each SK-II STUDIO film. The films chiefly support women in pursuing their destiny to create positive change. To date, SK-II’s SK-II STUDIO films have amassed over 700 million views globally. Total contribution to the #CHANGEDESTINY Fund has been capped at US$500,000 this year.
Helping Japanese entrepreneurs in the COVID era
Proceeds from the #CHANGEDESTINY Fund, worth US$500,000, will go towards a year-long program for women entrepreneurs. The money will specifically support participating women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs in Tokyo with Shibuya City and MEETALK. MEETALK is a Tokyo-based women entrepreneurship network. Above all, it equips users with digital and social skills, business networks and platforms to build and keep the business of their dreams alive in these unprecedented times.
The program will take on a three-pronged approach Learn, Connect, and Access. It will tackle top challenges Japanese women entrepreneurs and small business owners face in these unprecedented times. The first one-month workshop begins on July 21, 2021.
Learn involves a tailored training bootcamp and one-to-one business consultation. Topics include building a digital presence, social commerce and even international expansion with the support of Facebook Japan and Google Japan. Connect involves connecting women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs to a wider network and matching them with relevant role models. Access involves giving women-owned small businesses access to a wider audience and unique brand building experiences via SK-II platforms like the SK-II CITY. Tokyo inspired this virtual city that transports visitors to the middle of a bustling urban intersection. It includes all the sights and sounds of Shibuya Crossing.
Changing the destiny of Japanese entrepreneurs
Inaugurating the launch of the #CHANGEDESTINY Fund program are Mr. Ken Hasebe, Mayor of Shibuya City & Markus Strobel, President P&G of Skin and Personal Care.
“Today, Shibuya City and SK-II formalize our partnership agreement in support of female entrepreneurs and small business owners in Tokyo. With this, we will facilitate the growth of social infrastructure to become a start-up hub where female entrepreneurs and small business owners can rise above the current challenges to shine.” shared Mr. Ken Hasebe, Mayor of Shibuya City.
SK-II presents SK-II STUDIO as its brand’s first film studio division dedicated to tackling social pressures impacting women today. SK-II STUDIO’s debut film “The Center Lane” features the inspiring story of swimmer Ikee Rikako. The film charts her return to competitive swimming. It is directed by by award-winning director Hirokazu Koreeda. SK-II STUDIO’s second installment—‘VS’ Series—is an animated anthology series of six films. The films explore what it means to take destiny in your own hands through the real-life stories of Olympic athletes.
Participating athletes
- Gymnast Simone Biles
- Swimmer Liu Xiang
- Table tennis player Ishikawa Kasumi
- Badminton players Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo
- Surfer Mahina Maeda
- Japan Volleyball team Hinotori Nippon
The “VS Limitations” by SK-II Studio was filmed in 2019 with the Japan National team Hinotori Nippon of 2019. The athletes appearing in the films share SK-II’s brand purpose of #CHANGEDESTINY. They each have real-life destiny-changing experiences, often while under intense scrutiny, pressure and judgement. Their selection is completely independent from Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Turning views into action
“In these unprecedented times we are in, consumers have a much higher expectation towards brands and businesses. We know that we have an even larger social responsibility to the communities we operate in and be a force for good,” shared Markus Strobel, President P&G of Skin and Personal Care. “#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. We thank all the consumers who have joined us in this journey.”
“The launch of our first #CHANGEDESTINY Fund program with Shibuya City and MEETALK is big a step forward in our #CHANGEDESTINY journey,” he continued. “It means a lot to us, as the Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, to be able to turn inspiration and views from our SK-II STUDIO films into action with the #CHANGEDESTINY fund to support women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs who are fighting to keep the businesses of their dreams alive.”
Want to help women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs? Become a part of the #CHANGEDESTINY Fund program. Please visit http://city.sk-ii.com/.
If you are a woman-owned small business or female entrepreneur based in Tokyo interested in participating in the #CHANGEDESTINY Fund program, please sign up here: https://meetalk.org/sk2changedestiny/.
About SK-II
For nearly 40 years, SK-II has touched the lives of millions of women around the world through skin and life transformation. The fascinating story behind SK-II began with a quest to understand why elderly sake brewers had wrinkled faces, but extraordinarily soft and youthful-looking hands. These hands were in constant contact with the sake fermentation process. It took years of research for scientists to isolate the miracle ingredient PITERA[2], SK-II’s exclusive and naturally derived ingredient crafted from a proprietary fermentation process of a unique yeast strain. Since then, SK-II with PITERA1 has become a special secret shared by celebrities all over the world such as Tangwei, Ni Ni, Chun Xia, Haruka Ayase, Kasumi Arimura, Naomi Watanabe and Chloe Grace Moretz. For the latest news and in-depth information, please visit http://www.sk-ii.com.
About #CHANGEDESTINY
#CHANGEDESTINY is at the heart of the SK-II brand philosophy. It celebrates how destiny is not a matter of chance, but a matter of choice. Inspired by the stories of women from around the world, #CHANGEDESTINY sheds light on the pressures they face and the universal ‘box’ they are put in to be perfect in society’s eyes. Award-winning #CHANGEDESTINY campaigns include 2016’s “Marriage Market Takeover” that put a spotlight on the labels of “Sheng Nu” or “Leftover Women” in China, 2017’s “The Expiry Date”, 2018’s “Meet Me Halfway” and 2019’s “Timelines” a docu-series in partnership with Katie Couric about the evolving and controversial topic of marriage pressure and societal expectations women face globally.
Add Comment