New York, USA – To celebrate skinclusivity, Gillette Venus and Grey New York launched a new gaming activation on Animal Crossing as part of their “My Skin. My Way” campaign. With the launch of their NEW Skinclusive Summer Line by Venus, women everywhere can enjoy the sensations of summer virtually in Animal Crossing with characters that represent the diversity of their skin in real life.
It is important to ensure all women and all skin are represented and celebrated. Everywhere. That’s why Venus partnered with digital designer, Nicole Cuddihy, to co-create new avatar designs within Animal Crossing that serve as the largest offering of skin-inclusive designs to ever be available within the game. This collection is taking Animal Crossing from just a few representations of skin to 19 different skin types in 8 in-game skin tones, resulting in over 250 designs that include common skin realities like freckles, acne, hair, cellulite, scars and stretch marks, and more unique and under-represented skin like vitiligo, tattoos, psoriasis, and differently-abled bodies.
The campaign is the brand’s commitment to stand up for every woman’s right to feel comfortable and live freely in her own skin. But the summer, living comfortably and freely – and even enjoying the sun and the beach – has taken on a whole new meaning. Now, women around the world are expressing themselves and their individuality on Animal Crossing, which has quickly become the number one talked about game during quarantine and is most popular among women ages 19 to 24. By bringing more representation to Animal Crossing, Venus is enabling players to see and celebrate more of their natural identity in the world of gaming.
“In a world where there are so many explicit and implicit rules on how women should show or feel about their skin, skin-inclusivity and positive representation matters,” said Anthony van Dijk, Senior Brand Director of Venus North America. “The purpose of our My Skin. My Way campaign is to ensure that we’re putting out responsible imagery that represents reality and celebrates all types of skin, while also spotlighting the diverse skin stories of women all around the world. With Animal Crossing, we saw a unique opportunity to meet women where they are this summer by providing new ways to make gaming a more inclusive space, while also enabling them to gather virtually, safely on a beach to celebrate summer and skin inclusivity.”
On the inspiration and heartfelt purpose behind the designs, Cuddihy says, “While momentum for diversity in design is building, there are many areas where progress feels slow. The fact that I could add scars and wrinkles to warriors or outlaws, but not characters in less combat-driven games felt discouraging. With these designs, I hope that all women in Animal Crossing can find comfort and representation in this carefully developed collection. I drew inspiration from those in my own life to ensure the designs I was creating accurately represented their skin stories in a way that feels real, celebratory and beautiful.”
To celebrate the launch of the Skinclusive Summer Line by Venus and National Beach Day, Venus will host an Animal Crossing ‘Skinclusive Summer Social’ event on YouTube Live on Monday, August 31st.
Information on the NEW Skinclusive Summer Line by Venus and ‘Skinclusive Summer Social’ can be found on www.VenusSkinclusive.com.
Credits:
Creative Agency: Grey New York
Javier Bonilla – Global Executive Creative Director
Amanda Brencys – Creative Director
Rebecca Flinn – Creative Director
Eileen Matthews – ACD/Copywriter
Anuar Morad – Senior Copywriter
Suzanne Ayello – EVP/Global Account Director
Stephanie DiMilia – VP/Global Account Director
Charlotte Jenkins – Account Executive
Ellen Clark – Assistant Account Executive
Jhanell Biggs – Senior Planner
Shelby Issersohn – Project Manager
Amanda Davis – Project Director, Special Projects & Innovation
Marie Kelly – SVP, Experiential
Kenny Gold – SVP Director, Social Media
Kait Pearse – Associate Director, Influencer
Ish Traore – Content Architect
Production Agency: Townhouse/GPS
Keira Rosenthal – VP, Executive Integrated Producer
Victoria Najmy – Assistant Integrated Producer
Dominick Martimucci – Senior Video Editor
Michaela Moriarty – Post Producer
Natasha Howell – VP, Head of Talent
Stephen Bernstein – SVP Director, Business Affairs
Tim O’Shea – Associate Integrated
Client: P&G Venus NA
Max Menozzi – Sr. Vice President
John Claughton – Brand Vice President
Anthony van Dijk – Senior Brand Director
Ryan Parker – Brand Director
Alex Prounis – Senior Brand Manager
My Anh Nghiem – Communications Director
Ilse Verbunt – Executive Production Manager
