With each passing year, the social pressure that women feel to get married gets higher and higher. After passing 27 years of age, Chinese women are considered to be ‘leftovers.’ By 30 they feel exhausted of dealing with society’s expectations and being labeled as spinsters. According to a study conducted by the cosmetics brand SK-II, only 20% of Asian women say they feel comfortable with the idea of aging.

Women’s age-related stress prompted the Procter & Gamble-owned brand to launch a new project, as a part of their “Change Destiny” campaign. Together with the Swedish agency Forsman & Bodenfors, the company created “The Expiry Date,” a three-minute-long video that turns the proverbial ‘expiration date’ into a real and visible concept.

The Stockholm-based agency’s ad follows the story of three young Asian women from different countries and their helplessness when being confronted with society’s expectations and pressure regarding the process of natural aging.

The campaign’s concept approaches an idea captured by the famous movie “In Time.” Both the film and the ad highlight time’s importance in one’s life. The main characters have one thing in common: a stamp, printed on their forearms, which announces how much longer they have until the expiration date arrives. Although the 20th Century Fox’s movie demonstrates that, in fact, time is money, the current video emphasizes the discomfort and shame women feel with the transition from adolescence to maturity, feelings that keep surfacing at the sight of their wrist tattoo.

During the video, which recorded just over 66,000 views since its release, a woman with a warm voice addresses a series of powerful questions: “[…] are we worthless after we turn 30? Or can things be different? Can we decide for ourselves? Who we are, who we aspire to be, what really matters?” With each question asked, the thoughts of the three women start to change, while the expiration date tattoos disappear. “You are more than your age. Don’t let others put an expiry date on you,” is the message that ends the inspiring video.

Through the current campaign, the company aims to make all people aware of the fact that age is just a number. Also, by using the #INeverExpire hashtag, SK-II invites internet users to join a new social movement, which encourages women to share their thoughts on this issue that concerns not only women from Asia, but from other parts of the world too.

Last year, the brand released “The Marriage Market” advert, as part of the above mentioned #ChangeDestiny campaign. The ad, which went viral in and outside of China, focuses on women’s happiness, encouraging them not to let society dictate their future and also not to be afraid of being labeled as a ‘sheng nu’, or a ‘leftover woman.’

The ad that covers women’s ‘leftover’ status aims to stir discussion about women being judged not only in China, but around the world too. Plenty people already question the integrity of the video, as it technically promotes products that help women keep a younger look and help them with the aging process.

Let us know in the comments, if you think this is OK and whether the campaign should be addressed to women only, as men are affected by the same problem too. Unlike women, this kind of pressure doesn’t intensify for them with time, but it rather remains omnipresent, affecting males maybe more than one would think.

Credits:

Client: SK-II

Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors