PROTECT YOUR SKIN, PROTECT THE CORALS
A culturally grounded digital campaign for KOSÉ Malaysia that repositioned the brand's Japanese heritage while introducing reef-safe UV protection to Muslim consumers during Raya season.
ROLE
Art Director
DURATION
Seasonal campaign (Raya 2023)
PLATFORM
Digital-first (Microsite, AR Filter, Paid & Social)
REGION
MALAYSIA
PROCESS JOURNEY
OBJECTIVE & CHALLENGES
Build brand trust and drive product consideration during the competitive festive season
Cultural Perception Barriers
Address misconception that KOSÉ is Chinese-owned, easing halal concerns for Muslim consumers.
Category Education & Differentiation
Promote reef-safe skincare education with emotionally resonant messaging.
Audience Engagement Strategy
Boost festive social engagement for segmented audiences: 25–35 (awareness) and 35+ (conversion).
CREATIVE APPROACH & ART DIRECTION
Values-Led Cultural Repositioning
Reframed KOSÉ’s Japanese heritage as a symbol of care, craftsmanship, and environmental respect, positioning reef-safe skincare as a values-driven choice rather than a technical claim.
Emotion-Driven Visual Storytelling
Shifted art direction from clinical skincare cues to warm, culturally grounded narratives, blending coral conservation with Raya values of family, togetherness, and mindful living.
Hybrid Cultural Design Language
Developed a visual system combining batik-inspired coral motifs with Japanese minimalism, balancing both cultural identities intentionally and respectfully.
WHAT I DID
Strategy & Creative Direction
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Defined culturally sensitive content pillars, visual language, and campaign rollout.
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Ensured all creatives reinforced brand repositioning and business goals.
Cross-Functional Team Management
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Storyboarded concepts and directed influencers, talent, and production teams.
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Aligned copy, social, and platform execution while maintaining cultural integrity.
Mobile-First Multichannel Execution
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Delivered a bilingual, mobile-first ecosystem across microsite, AR, and social.
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Guided users from awareness to education and conversion.
Creative QA & Optimisation
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Oversaw creative QA and post-launch refinements.
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Used performance insights to optimise engagement without diluting brand intent.
USER JOURNEY
As part of the "Protect Your Skin" campaign, we designed a user journey that seamlessly connected KOSÉ's awareness and conversion touchpoints across social, web, and interactive channels. The journey was built to meet users where they already were, and progressively invite them deeper into brand engagement.
Funnel Journey :
Awareness & Lead
Awareness & Engagement
Conversion
CAMPAIGN SHOWCASE
CAMPAIGN LANDING PAGE
The campaign landing page established KOSÉ as a mindful Japanese skincare brand through visual narrative. Opening with ambient reef motion and traditional textures, guiding users through reef-safe education without technical complexity.
Visual Direction
A serene hero scene combining coral imagery, traditional textures with Japanese minimalism
Mobile-First & Bilingual
English–Malay toggle to maximize accessibility and inclusivity.
Interactive Storytelling
Progressive content flow introducing benefits through emotional storytelling
AR FILTER GAME & GIVEAWAY ACTIVATION
We introduced gamified education during peak social engagement period, recognizing target demographics' increased Instagram time during the Raya festive season. I developed AR experience transforming product education into shareable social content.
Gamified Education
Interactive gameplay collecting beneficial ingredients while avoiding harmful chemicals
Reward-Driven Engagement
Contest structure encouraging family and friends network sharing during the festive season
Seamless Discovery
Multi-access via QR codes, social captions, and influencer partnerships
SOCIAL CONTENT AND PERFORMANCE MARKETING
Adapting culturally intelligent multi-platform strategy with Instagram-focused execution maintaining visual consistency while adapting for platform behaviors during peak festive engagement.
Visual Consistency
Coral motifs and batik elements creating recognizable signature across placements
Influencer-Led Strategy
KOL partnerships integrating reef-safe education into authentic lifestyle content
Platform Focus
Strategic timing during documented peak social interaction periods
Achieved performance marketing efficiency, maximized ROI, and optimized audience engagement.
CAMPAIGN RESULTS
Designing Cultural Connection Across Every Touchpoint
This campaign prompted us to shift our approach from traditional skincare marketing to one that leads with cultural connection. Blending Japanese minimalism with Malaysian motifs required restraint and constant checks to ensure the work felt respectful rather than decorative.
Performance data also informed creative decisions in real-time. Early results showed lower interaction with the AR filter when it sat lower on the page, so we repositioned it higher in the journey, which immediately improved engagement.
The biggest takeaway for me was that in trust-sensitive markets, relevance and cultural understanding matter more than technical detail. That insight has since shaped how I approach campaign strategy and creative prioritisation.
CREDITS
Creative Direction & Quality Management Carmen Tan | Experience Design Lead Carmen Tan | AR Concept & Visual Design Carmen Tan | Campaign Execution Partners Krystyn Chew (AR Development), Nik Nayly (Content), Izzy Yong (Creative & Design Support), Farhana (Design), Irfan (Video)
