SK-II STUDIO Returns with 'VS' - an Animated Anthology Series with a Big Purpose; Teams up with Olympic Athletes to Defeat "Kaijus" in Society

SINGAPORE,May 1,2021 -- Merging animation,live action and storytelling with a big purpose,global prestige skincare brand SK-II returns with its next SK-II STUDIO installment - 'VS',a groundbreaking animated anthology series to inspire every woman that they have the power to #CHANGEDESTINY.

'VS' - a #CHANGEDESTINY animated series by SK-II STUDIO

 

'VS'Series by SK-II STUDIO is a collection of six animated films based on the life experiences of six Olympic athletes—Simone Biles,the world's most decorated gymnast,LiuXiang,world-record swimmer,Ishikawa Kasumi,table tennis player and two-time Olympic medalist,Ayaka Takahashi and Misaki Matsutomo,badminton duo and Olympic gold medalists,Mahina Maeda,surfer and Hinotori Nippon[1],the Japan Volleyball team. They each explore what it means to take destiny in their own hands,overcoming societal pressures that often dictates how one should look,act and feel to be perfect.

Each film within the 'VS' Series by SK-II STUDIO explores different aspects of societal pressures that women experience: Trolls. Pressure. Image Obsession. Rules. Limitations. Machine-Like Mindsets. Brought to life in the form of a "strange beast" or "kaiju" in Japanese,each "kaiju" sheds light on the inner demon each athlete must defeat to pursue their destiny.

A mix of animation and live action,the 'VS' series spans across a broad range of genres including sci-fi,fantasy,action and sports. Each episode is independent,with its own universe and style,featuring the work from award winning animation studios—Imaginary Forces,Passion Pictures,Platige Image and C3 and original music from singer-songwriters like John Legend and Lexie Liu.

The 'VS' series released worldwide on 1 May 2021 with a global premiere in Hainan,China together with the debut of an immersive social retail pop-up store in Sanya's Haitang Bay Duty Free Shopping Centre in partnership with China Duty Free Group.

This is not the first time SK-II is entering untapped territory. Following its debut brand docu-drama "The Center Lane" by award-winning director Hirokazu Koreeda featuring the inspiring story of swimmer Ikee Rikako's return to competitive swimming,the global skincare brand once again transforms itself into a film production studio,merging entertainment with purpose in the #CHANGEDESTINY universe. Showcasing,once again,that purpose-led storytelling can be done in a totally unexpected way.

SK-II will also be additionally setting up a #CHANGEDESTINY fund,contributing $1 for every view garnered on each SK-II STUDIO film in support of women in pursuing their destiny to create positive change as part of its brand purpose this year.Total contribution to the #CHANGEDESTINY fund will be capped at $500,000 USD. Participating organizations will be announced at a later date.

"#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 and strengthen our commitment towards our brand purpose."shared Sandeep Seth,Chief Executive Officer,Global SK-II.

"We know from our conversations with our consumers that there are much bigger issues than skin and beauty that they are concerned about. We also know that from the pandemic and coming out of it,consumers have a higher expectation towards brands and businesses. With the release of the SK-II Studio films,we a celebrating a moment in SK-II's #CHANGEDESTINY history. We hope these films can give women worldwide the courage to take destiny in their own hands and be a starting point for us—brands and businesses—to come together and act as a force for good and growth to create positive and meaningful change."

To find out more about the 'VS' Series and learn about SK-II STUDIO and #ChangeDestiny,please visit the virtual SK-II CITY at https://city.sk-ii.com/.

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™,SK-II's exclusive and naturally derived ingredient crafted from a proprietary fermentation process of a unique yeast strain. Since then,SK-II with PITERA™ 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,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 that 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.

[1]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 and have real-life destiny-changing experiences,often while under intense scrutiny,pressure and judgement. Their selection is completely independent from Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.