As China continues to develop economically and socially, contrasts and conflicts between traditional values and modern realities are causing strife among many families. Cosmetics and skincare brand SK-II leveraged the opportunity to spotlight a key point of contention between many of today’s Chinese women and their families: marital status. The brand’s short video, a mini-documentary titled “Meet Me Halfway” and produced by Forsman & Bodenfors Singapore, was a viral success. It received some 18 million views within 24 hours of its release.

To sustain momentum and expand audience reach, SK-II and Oath Media sought the help of Morning Studio, the creative arm of South China Morning Post dedicated to the creation of branded content.

Morning Studio’s expert storytellers and other content gurus proposed using written content, in advertorial format, to delve deeper into the provocative topic while revealing further background to the video production, the personalities involved (particularly the two women starring in the video, and their families), all the while emphasising the idea that SK-II understands the China market and the needs of Chinese women.

A key challenge to this inaugural collaboration between the three parties was the time difference, with SK-II in Singapore and US, Oath Media in Denmark, and Morning Studio in Hong Kong. While all were well aware of the difference between branded content and advertorials, SK-II wanted the best of both worlds. Morning Studio optimised an editorial-first approach alongside high-quality branded content that would enhance the awareness of the global #meetmehalfway campaign, the impact of the viral video, and the consistent tone of the message, among other aspects.

Two advertorials were produced, supported by 100% Share of Voice advertising and other traffic drivers on SCMP.com (in total garnering 2.3 million impressions).

Ultimately, Morning Studio delivered one of SK-II’s best-performing engagement vehicles, scoring high in  pageviews, dwell time, Facebook engagement statistics, and other audience metrics. The two articles remained the Top Most Shared for days after going live.

Aside from SK-II, Oath Media was also very impressed and would be including and supporting Morning Studio in future pitches for big branded content partnerships to global brands.

Contact us to learn how Morning Studio’s editorial talents and multidisciplinary resources can effectively raise your brand awareness and expand your audience reach through our unique mix of creativity, innovative resources, and extensive channel portfolio.