A new ad for SK-II challenges the stereotype that single women in China are “leftover woman”.
In China, women are under intense pressure from their families to get married. In the ad, one mother says: “We always thought out daughter had a great personality. She’s just average-looking. Not too pretty. That’s why she’s leftover.”
The video features everyday Chinese women explaining how they feel about being single, from enjoying the independence to suffering from guilt over disappointing their parents.
The ad, by Forsman & Bodenfors, focuses on a “marriage market” in Shanghai’s People’s Park, where parents advertise their adult children as potential partners, with posters of their income, job, height and property ownership.
In the same park, the brand helped dozens of women start changing the conversation. It set up an installation of photos of single women looking strong and happy, along with personal messages for their parents. "I don't want to get married for the sake of marriage. I won't live happily that way."
The ad is is part of SK-II's ongoing global #changedestiny campaign that aims to empower women.
See our collection of femvertising campaigns here.
