How Forsman & Bodenfors Challenged Chinese Women to Choose Destiny
SK-II's "My Destiny, My Choice" campaign confronts societal pressures faced by Chinese women, combating the chauvinistic trend of "good for marriage" by empowering women to make their own life decisions.
Through an interactive movie on Bilibili, based on the real experiences of 30 women, SK-II challenges stereotypes as it targets 336 million monthly active users.
According to group creative director at Forsman & Bofendors Singapore, Rachel Kennedy, the campaign's success challenges traditional norms by igniting conversations and empowering women to #ChooseDestiny.
Speaking to LBB, Rachel covers the inspiration behind addressing societal pressures Chinese women face, the intricacies of creating a safe space for exploration, and the significance of authentic storytelling.
LBB> What inspired the decision to address the societal pressure faced by women in China through an interactive movie format?
Rachel> Although this interactive movie was launched in China, we recognised the insight of downplaying oneself for marriage is a universal one – almost every woman may experience it at least once in their lifetime. The societal pressure behind ‘good for marriage’ wasn’t simply about downplaying oneself for marriage, but a pressure rooted in making choices.
And not just everyday choices but big, life-changing decisions. Women sacrifice higher education, turn down promotions, and give up opportunities abroad to avoid overshadowing their potential partners.
An interactive movie format was the perfect tool to let women experience the power of choice and play out the decisions they dare not make in real life. It reframed choice as both a culprit and a path to empowerment. It is also one of the reasons we shifted SK-II's brand purpose from #ChangeDestiny to #ChooseDestiny, emphasising empowering women to exercise choice.
LBB> How did you ensure that the interactive movie, "My Destiny, My Choice," provided a safe space for women to explore their life decisions without judgement?
Rachel> It was essential to develop a narrative that captured the nuance of our choices and outcomes in real life. We wanted to establish that there are no right or wrong choices, but when you choose not to be your true self, you diminish a part of you that may be destined for something great.
When a player made a self-diminishing choice, there were simply fewer courageous story paths available for them. At times, the characters who played friends in the film would help the player question their decision — were they making the decision true to themselves or their partner?
LBB> Can you elaborate on the process of selecting and integrating women's real-life experiences into the script of the interactive movie?
Rachel> We interviewed thirty women in China about what determined their choices in dating, marriage and choosing careers. Through them, stories of diminishing themselves naturally began to unfold. From getting dressed in the morning to changing professions, we gathered many first-hand experiences around decisions that led to being “good for marriage”.
Then, we went through the long and complicated process of turning these women’s sound bites into scenes, weaving them into a story path, and interconnecting them through a narrative. Every single scene in the interactive movie is based on a real experience. There was lots of re-jigging, re-writing, and re-calculating, but in the end, it made the movie relatable and authentic to our audience.
LBB> What were some of the challenges encountered in portraying the struggles of women in China authentically, and how were they addressed during the creative process?
Rachel> Basing the narrative on the real experiences of Chinese women was the first step to creating an authentic experience. Micro pressures, parents' opinions, facing backlash, the fear of being lonely, and a million thoughts are going through her head.
So, we added the main character's inner voice, letting the player in on her most intimate thoughts. This authentic voice gave the film a more holistic portrayal of the internal struggles Chinese women experience in making these decisions. We worked closely with native Chinese screenwriter Su Gengsheng and director He Wenchao, who brought their experiences and cultural insight to the creative process. Our director, He Wenchao, is a former actress who has just made the brave choice of moving her career from acting to directing with this film, one of her first projects. She embodies the very story we wanted to tell: A woman choosing her destiny.
LBB> How did the collaboration with actress Zhang Zifeng and movie star Tang Wei enhance the authenticity and engagement of the interactive movie experience?
Rachel> Having Zhang Zifeng play your best friend in the movie was exciting. The audience got to know another side of her throughout the intimate interaction. There is an added weight to her message, especially when looking directly at you.
The actress Tang Wei only appeared in an ‘easter egg’ scene, so it was a big surprise for the audience if they got there. Her message to the player was extremely authentic because we actually didn’t script it; she wrote it herself. We asked her what advice she would want to give to young women in the main character’s position, and she just free-styled from there.
LBB> Can you explain the significance of choosing Bilibili as the core platform for hosting the interactive movie? How did its features contribute to the campaign's success?
Rachel> We needed to consider a few factors when deciding on the right platform for the film – is the platform designed for long-form consumption? Does it allow real-time discussion? And most importantly, will it support the interactive function of the film? Bilibili handled all these factors, and became crucial in driving meaningful engagement on our hero piece of content. By meaningful, we meant playing with the choices in the film, discussing them in real-time (via bullet comments), and sharing the film on their social channels. The real-time discussion added something new to the interactive storytelling format– turning it into a live community.
LBB> What strategies were employed to encourage real-time discussions and interactions among viewers on Bilibili during the "My Destiny, My Choice" screening?
Rachel> The strategy happened in two waves: pull, then push.
The first wave of ‘pull media’ happened when ‘My Destiny, My Choice’ premiered at Vogue China’s film festival called 2023 VOGUEFilm. Like many film releases, appearing at a film festival creates significant exposure and recognition for the film. The 2023 VOGUEFilm’s theme was ‘She Power’, further amplifying our campaign’s core message. During this wave, many influential female KOLs took to social media to express their thoughts and personal wisdom on the film. This kick-started the conversation on “good for marriage”, and the volume of comments during this event was unprecedented.
The second wave of ‘push media’ saw the film trailer going live on key social media channels – Douyin, WeChat, Weibo, and Little Red Book- which drove awareness and visits to the main film on Bilibili. As most of the exposure had been created in the first wave, coupled with the live bullet commenting feature native to the platform, live discussions amongst viewers became a natural byproduct of the campaign.
LBB> Finally, what impact did the campaign have on changing societal perceptions and attitudes towards women's empowerment and marriage in China?
Rachel> #ChooseDestiny was mentioned 480 million times within the first two weeks of the campaign, with ‘choice’, ‘life’, and ‘meaningful’ as the keywords. Here are what some were saying:
“I have unlocked two endings, this is meaningful that I could discover the very different choices in life.” – Weibo comment
“This film gave me a direction when I was at a loss for what to do” – Bilibili comment
“I have made choices that I don’t dare to make in real life. I’ll be more courageous now.” – Bilibili comment
