Japanese beauty brand Shiseido is unveiling a Future Reflections collection of 1,872 unique generative artworks at Miami Art Week. Generative art is made using an autonomous system, such as AI. The number of artworks reflects the brand’s founding year and the design is inspired by the brand and has links to its Future Solution LX product collection that launched in 2017.
The Miami event is expected to bring over 30,000 people to Miami from December 4-10. Other beauty brands with a presence this year include Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle and Creed.
Along with the “Future Reflections” digital artworks, the Shiseido activation, running December 6-8, will feature an IRL experience and meet-and-greets with the Shiseido-sponsored generative artists, including Hannah Yan, Jen Stark, Kaoru Tanaka and Robert Hodgin. Visitors can collect pieces from Shiseido’s “Future Reflections” collection at no cost.
Twenty randomly selected works from the collection will unlock a unique utility or benefit, like free products from Shiseido’s Future Solution LX line. Other pieces from the collection will unlock product samples from the Future Solution LX line or promotions, like a 15% discount off a purchase of $75 or more on the brand’s website.
“Shiseido has a profound connection with art,” said Alessio Rossi, evp of U.S. marketing at Shiseido. “We own a museum in Tokyo, and we are always supporting multiple emerging talents in that space. So this idea of merging art, science, craft, shapes and technology has always been at the heart of Shiseido.” The brand owns the Shiseido Art House in Tokyo, which over 1,600 artworks. For the year ending December 31, Shiseido is expecting revenue of ¥722 billion, or $4.9 billion, a 5.3% decrease year-over-year.
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Rossi said he realizes NFTs have lost their speculative value since last year. However, he said, they can still be useful tools for engagement. “NFT’s were hyped up and discussed too much,” said Rossi. “And the problem with them most of the time was their valuations. So we decided not to put a price point on these pieces of art at all. We wanted to remove the transactional components entirely from this conversation.” To get the word out, the brand is leveraging the NFT Now The Gateway web3 community platform, social media and press.
To bring the web3 elements of the artworks to life during Miami Art Week, Shiseido entered a collaboration with Art Blocks Engine, a leading generative art platform. Art Blocks is a generative art engine and minting technology leveraged by the artists.
“The Shiseido team has been clever with their approach to creating a new generative art collection,” said Holly Wood, a web3 strategist for brands including Burberry and Givenchy and founder of the Future Fashion Summit.
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“By working with web3-native curators previously at [NFT marketplace] Super Rare, [Shiseido is leveraging] an inclusive selection of artists whose work has come to the fore through the growth of digital art created on the blockchain. Artist Jen Stark has been a rising star, and brands are now more mindful in their approach to web3 projects as their understanding and knowledge grows.”
The Shiseido strategy is not new. “Live minting art has been a feature at Art Basel Miami since 2021, with web3 art trailblazers Vertical and Tezos,” said Wood. For the December Miami Art Week, LVMH will be hosting a “House of Culture,” with live minting for nail art, according to Wood. “The more we experiment with an artist’s outlook through AI and algorithms, the more we’ll see the myriad of ways that web3 ecosystem can grow.”
“We’re leaning into art because of our legacy,” said Rossi about the brand’s 151-year history. The brand is aligning itself with artists and photographers who reflect its creative and social brand values. Shiseido has just come off another initiative with the Emmy-nominated photographer Enzo Barracco, who created an exhibition for the brand related to sustainability.
“[At Miami Art Week], we’re using art to provide a different point of view on the world. There is no better time to provide positive messaging, or at least a space that can provide respite and an environment for reflection,” Rossi said. “We wanted to spark that conversation with this artist collaboration without heavy branding.”
The other reason for Shiseido’s focus on art is community-building. As the brand branches out to more fragmented audiences through new products and brands, small community-building is a priority. “Communities can be built in multiple ways,” said Rossi. “You can build a community if you are a part of the conversation. Sparking a conversation that is relatable to people is key, and it’s not necessarily about the products you sell.”
