Japan

2010/01/21

Kao Asience to Start 'Asian Beauty 2010 Project' in 7 Asian Markets

— Supporting Asian Women through Hair Diagnosis and Formation of Unit of Female Asian Vocalists —

Kao Corporation (President and CEO: Motoki Ozaki) will launch a promotional campaign of Asience, the premium hair care brand that embodies "Asian beauty," from January 21, 2010 starting from Japan. The campaign will be sequentially developed in other 6 Asian markets in accordance with the individual renewal schedule of the brand.

Kao aims to contribute to people's lives and culture globally through providing innovative products and proposing new lifestyles, always from the perspective of the consumer. Among those products, Asience, which illuminates the innate beauty of Asian women's hair, is one of the core brands that also include Attack, Laurier and Bioré, focused by Kao as pan-Asia brands.

The Kao Asience "Asian Beauty 2010 Project" was planned as one of the activities based on the global strategy--Asia Harmonization. Through the project, Kao will promote Asian beauty, while supporting Asian women with such activities as: proposing new products by taking advantages of Kao's accumulated knowledge and expertise in long-term hair care research on Asian women; emphasizing the importance of hair care by conducting hair diagnosis; and making donations to the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU).

* Since the 2003 launch in Japan, Asience was released in Taiwan and Hong Kong in 2005, Singapore in 2006, China and Thailand in 2008, and Malaysia in 2009. Currently marketed in seven countries and regions in Asia, the brand has won strong support from highly beauty-conscious young women.
* The Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) is a non-profit organization established in 1971 in line with UNESCO's basic principles through the cooperation of private and government sectors in Japan in order to contribute to mutual understanding and cultural cooperation in Asia and the Pacific.

Campaign outline

【Targeted countries/regions, and schedule (tentative)】

  Japan Taiwan Malaysia Thailand Singapore Hong
Kong
China
Commencement
date
January
21
February
1
March
1
March
10
March
10
March
19
End
of
June

【Main activities】

1. A conference attended by beauty journalists throughout Asia will be held in January 2010 in Tokyo.

2. Ms. Yuu Kashii will appear as the total campaign face.
- Advertising, including TV commercials, magazines and outdoor signage will be implemented according to the situation in each country/region.

3. Hair diagnosis events will be held in each country/region.
- A hair diagnosis based on Kao's knowledge and expertise acquired through long-term research on Asian women's hair is conducted on consumers in the general public. It will encourage consumers to be aware of the potential beauty unique to Asian women's hair.

4. The website to support women's quest for beauty is launched today, January 21 at midnight (JST).
http://www.asience.com/asianbeauty/

5. A unit of female Asian vocalists will be formed during the limited campaign period.

6. A portion of Asience sales will be donated to ACCU to support Asian women's activities.

Media inquiries should be directed to:

Corporate Communications
Department
Kao Corporation

Tel: +81-3-3660-7043
Fax:+81-3-3660-7044