All Is Pretty
The concept, visual identity, and packaging for a striking limited-edition collaboration between skincare brand SK-II and The Andy Warhol Foundation has been created by Manchester, England creative firm LOVE. SK-II releases limited editions of its iconic SK-II Facial Treatment Essence on a monthly basis, often drawing on themes of encouragement and empowerment. For this release, LOVE analyzed the Andy Warhol archive, exploring his inclusive attitude to beauty to develop an idea that mixes brand and artist in a modern and appealing design.
Warhol had a distinct perspective on beauty, expressed in quotes like, “If everyone isn’t beautiful, then no one is” and “All is pretty,” and “I’ve never met a person I couldn’t call a beauty.” The idea of everyone’s innate beauty perfectly complements the concept of SK-empowerment II, and is a major theme in the design.
To convey the idea, LOVE used a creative approach that delved into another of Warhol’s passions: broadcast television. With his own MTV cable shows and a persistent questioning of the relationship between art and mass media, the artist was at the forefront of television advances. The collaboration’s tagline “broadcast your beauty” and its graphic execution, uses Warhol’s renowned television technicolor test patterns across the packaging and marketing. The limited-edition packs, which come in three colorways, are imprinted with his phrases and signature, as well as a QR code that can be used to unlock further ‘broadcasts’ from the company.
The limited edition also includes exclusive gift sets that take the theme of broadcast even further, with one taking the shape of a 1990s VHS tape and another designed to look like a Warhol-era analogue TV.
David Palmer, Executive Creative Director at LOVE: “From the outset we were keen to uncover an aspect of Andy Warhol, or his work, which was less well known. He produced so many iconic and immediately recognizable pieces, but we want to share a different side to him. Something that hadn’t been mined and explored. Working with the Andy Warhol Foundation, we were excited to discover a real connection between SK-II and Andy Warhol, through their shared fascination with skincare.”
The limited-edition Andy Warhol X SK-II Facial Treatment Essence is available in key markets across Asia and is supported by a marketing campaign from Forsman & Bodenfors Singapore.