Launched in 2019, Skincalories is targeted at people with active, on-the-go lifestyles.
The brand seeks to differentiate itself in the competitive beauty market by focusing on an entertainment-driven marketing strategy.
“We use music, comics, games and movies to brand a product. We’re building a connection with our audience in many different ways. For instance, our audience are the digital nomads and the fitness buffs that are always on the go. So, our songs are like the playlist for them,” said Shilee Jwel, executive director of Skincalories.
Recently, the company announced that it inked USD1.9m deal with music labels such as Kennel AB to produce 10 original songs.
“This is all part of a multi-sensory experience that we are we are creating for our our customers,” said Axl Loon, vice president of strategy.
At the heart of the brand is MAGDA, the brand’s virtual ambassador.
“MAGDA tells the narrative of the brand within her own story itself. She sort of mirrors the journey that our customers have in their own personal growth,” explained Jwel.
She has her own character, dreams, emotions. Her story is independent of the products itself but her journey to become to become a K-Pop performer. parallels not just the company's growth, but also the growth of our audience as well.”
MAGDA will star in the company’s first music video for Vroom Vroom, the first in a lineup of original tracks in collaboration with Kennel AB.
The music video will be produced with advanced 3D animation and visual effects, brought to life by artists from Ukraine, Israel, China, and Spain.
In addition to the music video, the brand will expand its consumer engagement with a manga series called Broken Seal, which also features MAGDA.
Why an AI character?
In a world where companies fight to secure the hottest names in entertainment to front their brands, Skincalories deliberately chose a virtual character.
According to the brand’s chief executive Madelyn Yeo, the brand did initially explore the possibility of engaging a celebrity.
“With our brand, the one thing we try to do is make it personal and meaningful for every customer. But with a celebrity, we found that they had too many restrictions. For instance, we might not have been able to produce a comic or a music video with a celebrity. But as a brand we wanted to explore these,” Yeo explained.
By creating and owning MAGDA, the brand ensures it has full control over its ambassador.
Speaking from her past experience in the beauty distribution, Yeo added: “It seems that once something becomes successful, people take it away. In this case, we thought that everything we invest in we should have control so that it will be possible for us to be flexible and adjust accordingly to the different things that might come our way.”
New products and more
The new songs and music video are precursors to what the brand has in store for the next 12 months.
The brand is launching two more products, the Active Cleansing Mask and Active Beauty Balm.
Like its first product, Active Glow Mist, the products were tailored meet needs of the active urbanite and their on-the-go lifestyles while keeping skin health a priority.
With brand new products, the company plans to launch its smart retail solutions by 2025.
The company is aiming to roll out 200 machines across eight countries in Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
By integrating smart vending machines into its distribution, the brand aims to offer convenience to consumers, providing quick access to the products in high-traffic areas like gyms, festivals, and retail spaces.
By next year, the company plans to deploy its first 50 smart vending machines in Singapore.
It said it would glean consumer insights from the first 50 machines and fine-tune the experience accordingly.
Accompanying the roll out of the vending machines it the SkinS mobile application, which will act as another interactive touch point.
This application not only pairs with the vending machines but will also be a platform where fans can keep up with MAGDA and her adventures, be it through the comics or music videos. Additionally, the app will offer skin care advice and exclusive offers.
