It is commonplace for consumer goods to use global sporting events and sports stars to market and endorse their products with some great successful examples, even in personal care such as Roger Federer teaming up with P&G’s Gillette brand, and this latest move sees Shiseido team up its sunscreen technology with the Serbian star.
Yoshiaki Okabe, General Manager and International Brand Director for Shiseido’s Global Business Division, says that Ivanovis’s success and personality make her the perfect partner for its pioneering sun care technology.
“With WetForce, Shiseido has also overcome substantial odds and has created a new kind of relationship between sunscreen and water,” he says.
“The partnership between Ana and Shiseido symbolizes a mutual dedication to skill, tenacity, innovation, education and reaching for higher levels of performance at every opportunity.”
‘World’s first’ protection
The WetForce technology was born out of Shiseido’s wish to develop a sunscreen that actually enhances UV protection once in contact with water or perspiration.
One of the problems with sunscreen is that by sweating or splashing water on the skin it may be wiped off or be ineffective, so Shiseido wanted to deal with this.
The claim is that WetForce is the first ever sunscreen that interacts with the minerals in water and perspiration, becoming more uniform, smoother and stronger upon contact with water or perspiration, creating a more uniform UV shield, with about 120% higher protection effect.
Shiseido says it started its study into minerals by asking “what if water contact could improve the performance of a sunscreen film applied to the skin, actually enhancing the UV protection effect?”
Perfect pairing
A sports star, and in particular a tennis player who can be on court for a number of hours, would be the ideal case study of someone who is in need of a sun care product that remains effective even after intense physical exercise and perspiration.
Therefore it seems Shiseido has made a very measured move in the recruitment of Ivanovic.
Ana herself, is also excited about becoming the beauty ambassador for the WetForce Sun Protection, stating she is ‘honoured’ to be paired with such a ‘well-respected’ global brand.
“I hope I can inspire other women toward greater confidence and raise awareness about sun protection and Shiseido’s unique innovations,” she says.