CHANGE YOUR STRIPES
To welcome the Lunar New Year, SK-II has emblazoned the box of Facial Treatment or Pitera Essence with tiger-inspired artwork. The bottle features stripes crossing out four words — Can’t, Must, Expected, Have To — related to limitations that hold people back. The take-home message is to rewrite destiny and own your stripes, which reinforces SK-II’s brand purpose “Destiny is not a matter of Chance, is a matter of Choice”. The packaging is constantly redesigned to celebrate the festive season, springtime and other occasions. Often the inspiration comes from art, ranging from traditional suminagashi (a Japanese “floating ink” technique for printing on water) to colourful pop art. Essentially unchanged for over four decades, Pitera Essence is SK-II’s bestseller containing more than 90% Pitera. SK-II story began with a quest to understand why elderly sake brewers had wrinkled faces, but remarkably 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 Pitera, a natural ingredient derived from a proprietary fermentation process of a unique yeast strain. The resulting clear liquid is rich in vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids that work together to help rejuvenate the skin.