Gillette is trying to make the videogame world more “skinclusive” through Animal Crossing
Among the latest and most interesting responses to racism, there has been a rather unexpected crossover collaboration between Gillette-owned brand Venus and Nintendo’s golden child Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Following the death of George Floyd by the hand of a white police officer and the subsequent nationwide protests, rioting, and civil unrest, there has been also a never seen before response from brands, media companies, and agencies as they have taken a stand against racism and social injustice, through different actions.
Among the latest and most interesting responses to racism, there has been a rather unexpected crossover collaboration between Gillette-owned brand Venus and Nintendo’s golden child Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Summer Skinclusive Line by Venus, the partnership consists of hundreds of new skin-inclusive avatars within the game, under the coordination of the digital designer Nicole Cuddihy, as part of its “My Skin, My Way” campaign aimed at celebrating every woman and every type of skin.
“While momentum for diversity in design is building, there are many areas where progress feels slow. The fact that I could add scars and wrinkles to warriors or outlaws, but not characters in less combat-driven games felt discouraging. With these designs, I hope that all women in ‘Animal Crossing’ can find comfort and representation in this carefully developed collection. I drew inspiration from those in my own life to ensure the designs I was creating accurately represented their skin stories in a way that feels real, celebratory and beautiful.’’
Players can add acne, vitiligo, freckles, cellulite, psoriasis, arm hair, tattoos, scars, burns, stretch marks, mastectomies, pigmentation, prosthesis, eczema, nevi, rosacea, and wrinkles, among a host of other features, to their characters.
They can also choose from various body types and skin tones.
In total, these designs will bring 19 different skin types and more than 250 designs of the aforementioned common skin realities to the Animal Crossing world.
Anthony van Dijk, Senior Brand Director of Venus North America said:
“In a world where there are so many explicit and implicit rules on how women should show or feel about their skin, skin-inclusivity and positive representation matters. The purpose of our “My Skin My Way” campaign is to ensure that we’re putting out responsible imagery that represents reality and celebrates all types of skin, while also spotlighting the diverse skin stories of women all around the world.”
To celebrate the launch of the Skinclusive Summer line by Venus, as well as National Beach Day, the brand will be hosting an Animal Crossing event on YouTube live on August 31.
“Gillette is committed to driving change that matters, starting with our own actions and expanding out to programs that support people taking positive action everywhere.”
Article by Brando Coleman