SK-II’s Latest Ad Continues to Challenge Notion of “Leftover Women”

Japanese anti-aging skincare brand SK-II has once again impressed and inspired Chinese audiences with its new ad, “The Expiry Date.” In it, different women confront the societal pressures of marrying before they hit a certain age — usually the nice round number of 30 — and in the end achieve a sort of liberation.

Jing Daily reports:

The empowering message clearly struck a chord with SK-II’s intended audience as just days after the ad’s release, it racked up more than 20,000 views on its official Sina Weibo account and more than 100,000 views on WeChat, prompting conversation around the world. As of February this year, the video gained more than 46 million views on Youtube and across platforms.

SK-II’s global president Markus Strobel told Bloomberg Businessweek in February that the campaign helped the skincare brand increase sales in China by more than 50 percent in nine months. “This campaign has put us on the map in China and generated extremely positive sentiment among consumers and retailers,” he said. “It’s helping us win with young professional and executive women.”

The Expiry Date is a follow-up to “Marriage Market Takeover,” an SK-II ad released in April that takes a deep dive into the meaning of “leftover woman.” You can watch it below. (Fair warning: maybe with some tissues at hand.)