Qixi is the Chinese lunar festival that celebrates love and commitment, equivalent to Valentine’s Day in the West. Its origins are from the story of the cowherd & weaver girl whose love is separated by the stars, only to be reunited once a year by the mystical power of nature, and a bridge of birds.

This is an important time of the year for any premium brand, such as SK-II, to mark the occasion with elevated and surprising gifting opportunities for people to buy for their loved ones. Flowers are a prominent gift during Qixi as a gesture of love and commitment between 2 people.

Our insight was that gifting during Qixi is not just about the product – it’s about the gifting experience. Both the unboxing moment and its shareability are just as important to the person receiving the gift. And the giver wants to give a lasting experience, which is something that SK-II can enable.

Our design creates the illusion of a bouquet of beautiful flowers, selected by the cowherd for his lover. When a loved one opens the bouquet, they find the product nestled into the flowers, elevating the experience and emphasising the natural qualities of the moisturiser.

The cardboard box is designed to feel too precious to throw away, leading to consumers reusing it to keep their most precious items.

SK-II were able to successfully re-create the meaning and experience of gifting flowers at this time of year, and with a unique and highly shareable unboxing experience, the gift packs have been highly successful, spiking user-generated content for SK-II across the Qixi festival.