PROTECT YOUR SKIN, PROTECT THE CORALS
This seasonal digital campaign blended sustainability, science, and storytelling, inviting users into a calm, reef-inspired experience designed to raise awareness around ocean preservation, while spotlighting KOSÉ’s reef-safe sunblock range.
Launched during Raya season, the activation transformed traditional skincare education into a soft-touch, mobile-first journey. The goal: to build brand trust, educate users on reef-safe choices, and encourage mindful product trial.
OBJECTIVE
Promote KOSÉ’s reef-safe UV range through a festive, purpose-driven campaign that drives awareness, education, and product consideration.
CHALLENGE
The campaign needed to stand out during a saturated Raya season, where beauty content often dominated the market. Our key challenge was introducing the unfamiliar concept of reef-safe skincare to Malaysian audiences in a way that felt accessible and relevant while ensuring the campaign remained culturally resonant, emotionally soft, and free from hard-selling.
FINDINGS
During Raya, a season of reflection, renewal, and giving, Malaysian consumers are more open to purpose-led storytelling. Our strategy tapped into this mindset, pairing sustainability with soft cultural cues for an experience that educated gently, yet clearly.
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75% of Southeast Asian sunscreen users had never heard of “reef-safe” products
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Gen Z beauty consumers demand transparency, not surface-level greenwashing
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Interactive storytelling improves retention and drives stronger educational outcomes
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73% of Malaysians engage with festive digital content during Raya
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Purpose-led campaigns see 2× engagement vs product-only messaging
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Influencer content builds trust and organic reach faster than branded content
CREATIVE APPROACH & ART DIRECTION
Inspired by the serenity of coral reefs and the softness of water, the campaign art direction fused marine textures with traditional Malay motifs to make reef-safe education feel both purposeful and culturally grounded. Batik-inspired coral patterns, soft gradients, and layered animations transformed the microsite into an immersive, scrollable journey that balanced KOSÉ’s minimalist brand tone with Raya’s emotional warmth.
As Art Director, I led the visual concept and collaborated closely with UX, content, and design teams to ensure every interaction from scroll rhythm to motif styling, supported both the campaign’s educational goals and its gentle, culturally resonant message: gentle on skin, gentle on nature.
THE EXPERIENCE
CAMPAIGN LANDING PAGE
The microsite opened with soft coral visuals and ambient reef motion, inviting users into a calm, bilingual digital sanctuary. Designed mobile-first, the site delivered a scrollable narrative that introduced reef-safe skincare in a culturally grounded, festive tone.
Homepage
A serene hero scene paired with reef motion and traditional textures guided users into the campaign story.
Mobile-First & Bilingual
Optimized for mobile users with both English and Malay language options to maximize accessibility and engagement.
Interactive Storytelling
Visual-led education and gentle motion guided users through the coral conservation message and product discovery at their own pace.
AR FILTER GAME & GIVEAWAY ACTIVATION
To drive engagement and product trial, we launched an Instagram AR filter game paired with a festive giveaway. The game introduced users to reef-safe skincare in a fun, interactive way while the contest mechanic encouraged shares, submissions, and deeper product discovery.
Gamified Education
Users caught product benefits while avoiding harmful ingredients, learning reef-safe skincare through fast, intuitive play.
Reward-Driven Engagement
Participants stood a chance to win KOSÉ products by sharing their filter experience, turning awareness into action.
Seamless Discovery
Accessible via QR codes, IG and Meta posting captions, as well as influencer stories, the filter was easy to use and share.
SOCIAL CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE MARKETING
Social content mirrored the campaign’s gentle tone and aesthetics, bringing the reef-safe message to life through influencers, festive visuals, and mobile-first placements. Paid efforts focused on high-reach platforms and moments of cultural relevance.
Visual Consistency
Pastel tones, and batik motifs and coral elements were carried across in-feed and story assets.
Influencer-Led Strategy
KOLs simplified reef-safe education through real-life demos and warm, lifestyle-led storytelling.
Platform Focus
Instagram was prioritized for festive engagement, targeting Muslim users in Malaysia with localized, values-aligned messaging.
CAMPAIGN RESULTS
ROLE
ART DIRECTOR
CAMPAIGN CONCEPT & VISUAL STRATEGY
Led creative direction from insight to execution fusing coral and cultural elements with festive storytelling across web, mobile, social, and AR.
CROSS TEAM COLLABORATION
Worked closely with writers, developers, account managers, and creative teams to ensure visual and narrative alignment across all touch points from microsite to AR filter.
DIGITAL EXPERIENCE & PLATFORM DESIGN
Designed the bilingual, mobile-first microsite and AR game interface focusing on clarity, usability, and interaction that guided users through discovery, education, and action.
Designing Cultural Connection Across Every Touchpoint
This campaign challenged me to design an experience that balanced education, culture, and brand tone. Blending KOSÉ’s minimalist Japanese identity with the emotional warmth of Raya required thoughtful translation across every visual and interactive touchpoint.
After launch, heatmaps showed drop-off near the original placement of the AR game and giveaway which were positioned low on the scroll to prioritize reef-safe education. By adapting the layout and moving interactive elements higher, we improved engagement and gameplay significantly.
Ultimately, this project reinforced that impactful creative isn’t just crafted, it’s responsive. The most meaningful experiences are built when strategy, storytelling, and cultural nuance work in harmony.
CREDITS
Concept & Art Direction
Carmen Tan
Microsite Design
Carmen Tan
AR Filter Design & Development
Design & Animation: Carmen Tan
Development: Krystyn Chew
Content Writing
Nik Nayly
