Cheng headlines SK-II Indo launch

The brand has lined up Hong Kong singer and actress Sammi Cheng as an ambassador. She will stand alongside local celebrity Susan Bachtiar, who will also represent the brand in the country and will appear at all PR events. The 20-year-old brand is available in Greater China, Malaysia and Singapore -- where it recently opened its first 3,000 sq ft boutique spa, which already has a three-month waiting list for treatments -- and Australia. It has seen healthy growth among skincare brands in the region, according to Sin Wei Cheah, group account director at Leo Burnett Singapore. She said the company uses pitera, an all-natural yeast derivative as a key ingredient in its products, which claims to give users youthful skin by increasing skin cell metabolism by up to 70 per cent. However, in Indonesia, where women have grown up using natural remedies for skincare and haircare, and a 'skin whitening' craze is sweeping the nation, the brand will first need to educate consumers. The education strategy is particularly important in Indonesia, where disposable incomes are limited and consumers will be expected to fork out about US$100 for an SK-II product. "We do feel that the skincare market is getting more mature in Indonesia. SK-II already has a strong following among the top-level of society, which buys the product from Singapore. We are making it more available now," she added. "But there is a lot of educational work that needs to be done. Even with the affluent mass, the skincare attitudes are rather basic, just wash, tone and moisturise. SK-II products are more advanced." The products will be distributed via counters at Sogo department stores. A Leo Burnett-developed print campaign will focus on testimonials from celebrities and women who claim to be passionate believers and users of SK-II products. Leo Activation, the agency's below-the-line unit, will manage all launch events.