Shiseido is targeting Gen Z consumers with a new male grooming brand.
The premium brand, named Sidekick, combats specific skin care concerns of young Asian men, such as oily and dry skin.
Comprising four products, the skus are in keeping with Shiseido’s core brand values, combining naturally-derived ingredients and advanced technologies.
To improve skin’s resilience over time, the skus support skin’s moisture barrier function with each use.
The Japanese conglomerate has described the brand as a “buddy” for Gen Z men.
Shiseido said it will focus on the Chinese market with its new launch.
“With the launch of Sidekick, we will focus on China where the men’s cosmetics market is booming and will target mainly the Gen Z market, whose growth rate is particularly high,” the company wrote in a statement.
“At the same time, in response to changing lifestyles and diversifying values, we will grasp the unique values of Gen z and present a new, inspirational image of luxury.”
Shiseido’s NPD spree
Sidekick is the latest launch in a string of new releases for the beauty owner.
Since November 2021, and following the sale of beauty brands bareMinerals, Buxom and Laura Mercier, Shiseido has introduced three beauty brands.
First was its supplement brand INRYU: the ‘IN’ stands for inner beauty, while the ‘RYU’ is said to mean flow.
The products hit the Japanese market in January this year and rolled out to China in March.
Following INRYU’s Chinese roll-out, the group dropped its Ulé beauty brand for the French market.
Dubbed a premium ‘conscious beauty’ label, the brand is headed up by Shiseido’s EMEA division and contains eight skus.