A new ad campaign for Shiseido was needed in 2015 that would appeal to young people and show that make-up can be fun. For a cosmetics firm, this wasn’t a unique request, but the implementation was anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The film immerses the viewer in the world of a Japanese high school classroom full of girls. Several of them gaze directly into the camera in what many see as a clich\u00e9d depiction of Japan’s kawaii culture, the culture of cute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The gaze has a curious expression. They seem to be normal girls, but they have a secret \u2014 they are actually males. A reverse viewing of the production reveals that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shiseido was concerned about the trend of young people spending more time online and less time watching television. They also had to revive the brand’s image. When it came to beauty products, young girls saw Shiseido as a brand that their moms would use. It was safe, but it was also pricey and stodgy for them. Masato Kosukegawa’s creative team at the company hoped to remedy this situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The “High school girl’s cosmetics secret” was the result of a brainstorming session during an in-house workshop to address the challenges mentioned earlier. The concept of organising a drag queen contest was discussed at a session on the “rebranding of makeup supplies.” In Japan, there was a trend at that time that saw high school boys dress as ladies for school celebrations, which provided inspiration for this idea. “A video of boys in makeup” was the final decision based on these thoughts. Akira Shima was another one of the team members tasked with developing the concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n