Key Takeaways:
- SK-II announced actress Ning Chang as its brand ambassador before releasing a campaign video featuring Chang.
- The video, titled “Dare to Bare” (素的我敢) sees Chang and 3 other women from different professions discuss wearing no makeup.
- It received mixed to negative reviews from Chinese netizens who questioned the sincerity of the ad.
On 19 February, Japanese luxury skincare brand SK-II announced that it had recruited actress Ning Chang (張鈞甯) from Taiwan as its latest brand ambassador. The following day, the brand launched a short video to promote its latest campaign for its PITERA Facial Treatment Essence: “素的我敢” or “Dare to Bare”.
Dare to Bare?
Our translation of the slogan was “Dare to Bare”. However, there is a play on words as “素的” (sude) can mean a ‘bare, makeup-less face’ but is often used online as a cutesy equivalent to “是的” (shide), meaning ‘yes’. The slogan can also be interpreted as “Yes I Dare”.
The video features Chang, a sports influencer “Pink Feifei” (粉红霏菲), makeup artist Shiyi and creative director Gabby. All four women express their views on “daring to bare”, from the angles of different professions and workplaces.
Chang, speaking to the camera wearing supposedly no makeup, tells the audience how she feels “herself” as opposed to playing a character when she strips off her makeup and always having a bare face when being active. Pink Feifei speaks while training and expresses her aim to defy the “you ought to” conformity regarding makeup. To Shiyi, baring is about free expression, and for Gabby, it is to face complexity with simplicity. A series of videos with a focus on each of the women accompanied the ad.
SK-II also teamed up with Rednote for a competition. Users can publish notes with the title “Dare to xx” (素的我敢xx) to share their stories about no-makeup looks for a chance to win a PITERA Essence gift set.
Barefaced?
The topic “#素的我敢# (“Dare to Bare”) earned an impressive 6.82 million views on Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent, but was still short of a place on the Hot Search list.
Back in 2018, SK-II launched its Bare Skin Project with Chinese actresses Tang Wei and Ni Ni, along with international stars like Kasumi Arimura and Chloë Grace Moretz. The hashtag #BareSkinProject aimed to challenge the mentality of makeup being taken for granted as a part of women’s daily lives. Healthy bare skin, argued SK-II and the guests, is where true beauty shines through.
However, some netizens doubted the sincerity of the message as the implied prerequisite of being able to “dare to bare” in the video is that the participating guests all used SK-II essence in their skincare routines. Healthy skin, therefore, is achieved exclusively with the SK-II product.
Others found that the underlying logic of the video is that not wearing makeup is something to be ashamed of
Others found that the underlying logic of the video is that not wearing makeup is something to be ashamed of. Hence, you need “courage” (provided by SK-II) to go out without makeup.
Value-driven
Netizens, of course, might have read too much into it. But for a prestige-positioned global cosmetics brand to launch a campaign to empower women in the workplace or in general, whether the message can resonate is most important. Many feel that Ning Chang, like the celebrity guests from the 2018 SK-II campaign is too conventionally attractive and has been known for having healthier skin than the average, making the campaign for “bare skin” less realistic for the everywoman.
Young Chinese consumers have been subverting the notion of makeup in the workplace for several years, with notable movements such as the hashtag “disgusting workplace styling” (#上班恶心穿搭#) that deliberately underdress with comfort as its priority. The dichotomy of makeup vs bare skin also felt limiting to many.
SK-II has been producing meaningful and popular International Women’s Day campaigns since 2016. This latest video is considered to be an effort from the brand this year. The latest “Dare to Bare” campaign still discusses an important matter; it is only the execution that made some commentators feel less impressed, including the use of cutesy internet lingo that not only doesn’t fit the prestige positioning of the brand but also has its roots in workplace messaging.
The need for relatable messaging is more important than ever for international brands in China
Japanese cosmetic brands, including SK-II, have seen a decline in various degrees in the past few years (SK-II did see a return to growth in Q2 FY2025), partly due to anti-Japan sentiment but mostly due to strong competition from Chinese and international rivals. As Chinese consumers seek “emotional value”, the need for relatable messaging is more important than ever for international brands in China.
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