Skyn reframes condom shopping in Japan

Japan – Condom brand Skyn is injecting humour into Valentine’s Day marketing with its latest campaign, Soft Competition, which playfully explores the tension between personal desires and social etiquette in Japan.  

Developed by UltraSuperNew Tokyo, the campaign centres on a man and woman reaching for the last packet of Skyn condoms in a convenience store. Their inner emotions – honne in Japanese (true feelings) – erupt in a comical showdown, before they return to their composed tatemae (public facade or socially acceptable) selves.  

‘This marks a monumental milestone for Skyn,’ Annie Hou, associate director of sales and marketing at MAM LifeStyles, the company behind Skyn, told Little Black Book. ‘After almost a decade in Japan, we are thrilled to announce that our products are now available in the highly competitive Konbini Market – a space traditionally dominated by big-name brands.’

Creative director at UltraSuperNew Yousuke Ozawa added: ‘We decided to take a fresh approach by casting the characters as rivals instead of couples, adding a whole new dynamic to the brand. We also made the protagonist a woman, something only Skyn could pull off since the product is designed for both men and women. Instead of the usual submissive or cutesy portrayal of a Japanese woman, we made her a confident, charismatic go-getter.’ 

Find more insights on what's new and next in the sexual health space in our The Sexuwellness Women’s Market report.