Author: Rizkya Selly Anggreini
Gig’s Team, Olenka Team, and SUWA Team, consisting of nine students from Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) Bandung, achieved first, second, and third place, respectively, in the Branding Competition Communication Avenue Universitas Pelita Harapan. The theme of the competition was “Indie,” which signifies freedom and independence in creating a work. The term “Indie” was also used to express the fresh spirits of young generations in their daily activities.
The competition required participants to act as brand consultants for a company. Their task began with designing a product formula, establishing a local skincare brand that can compete with South Korean skincare, and making their brand strong enough to compete with other well-known skincare brands.
To win the hearts of the judges, participants had to create a perfect design that highlighted the Unique Selling Point of their respective products.
Uniting Hope and Indonesian Skincare with Gig’s Team
Gig’s Team won third place by creating the product Asha. The team consisted of Ghozy Alfarizy (2018), Genesia Wisnu (2018), and Irfan Ananda (2018). According to Sanskrit, Asha means ‘hope.’ The hope they wanted to convey through this product is the improvement of self-confidence, freeing users from unrealistic beauty standards, and hoping to become a better version of themselves.
The product was designed to showcase pride in Indonesia while demonstrating that Indonesian products are not inferior to beauty products from South Korea.
Asha itself is claimed to have uniqueness compared to other local brands. Asha has exclusivity that cannot be found in ordinary local products in the market. Asha tries to stand out amidst the tight competition in the beauty care industry filled with products from the land of ginseng.
In addition to the cool product design, the judges also praised the strategies they had developed and the storytelling abilities of the team members. Impressive, isn’t it?
Encouraging Women To Be More Confident Through Olenka Products
Team Olenka won second place. The three women behind Olenka are Afi Indraswari (2019), Jessica Manuela (2019), and Rheivita Mutiara (2019).
Jessica explained, “Choosing Olenka as a brand has been a long journey, with lots of brainstorming and data-based decisions. We hope to address the concerns of women in Indonesia. While other skincare brands try to imitate foreign products, Olenka wants to showcase the authenticity of Indonesian resources through a modern and elegant approach, so that Olenka can compete with beauty products from abroad, especially from South Korea.”
Olenka, which means “pure” and “lucky” in Greek etymology, is designed as a sustainable product that utilizes local resources and can be cultivated sustainably. Olenka’s production is also said to empower the human resources around it. Team Olenka helps us realize that a beauty product is not only useful for our skin but also for the environment and the people involved in making that skincare product.
In their design, the team created the campaign #EmbraceYourProcess to convey the message that every woman is beautiful as she is, and skincare products are meant to sustainably maintain skin health, not just for beautification purposes.
By recognizing the primary function of skincare and using skincare for those reasons, we will be more cautious and not easily swayed by skincare promises, right?
Inviting The Use of Skincare While Caring For The Earth with Team Suwa
First place was obtained by Team SUWA, consisting of Santhi Sathya (2018), Nanda Elisa (2018), and Irzahwa Sabilla (2018). The team successfully presented Suwa, an affordable and environmentally friendly product designed with locally sourced ingredients.
SUWA is designed as a green product that educates the public about the importance of responsible disposal of their cosmetic waste. As a local product with many competitors, SUWA is formulated with ingredients obtained from specific regions in Indonesia.
To support their green movement, Team SUWA designed the campaign #GlowUpBeyondYourMaze. The campaign challenges Gen Z to share their journey of breaking free from their respective “mazes.” This is done by using SUWA products for seven consecutive days. The “maze” refers to insecurities, stigma, and the reluctance to adopt an environmentally friendly lifestyle. SUWA wants its users to believe that they can become better because SUWA is with them.
The campaign utilizes social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Through TikTok, participants can share challenge videos through their accounts using the stitch feature. At the end of the campaign, a winner will be chosen to receive a private online concert ticket with Nadin Amizah.
On Instagram, SUWA will collaborate with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) who can represent their target audience, Gen Z. The Instagram campaign will involve posts that represent how stigmas, insecurities, and negative judgments from others only mask our true selves. It’s worth noting that Team SUWA received the highest score for creativity and originality. Their campaign was recognized as impressive because it also focused on community programs.
Despite the pandemic, their enthusiasm to collaborate and achieve excellence was not hindered. The Communication Management study program always supports its students in achieving academic and non-academic achievements. With the support and facilities provided, it is hoped that more students will be motivated to excel on the national and international stage.
