Olay HK puts unfiltered skin and raw beauty at the centre of its new campaign

In a world of filters and retouching, Olay Hong Kong  is flipping the script with a campaign that puts unfiltered skin - and unfiltered proof - at the centre, inspiring consumers to document their unfiltered skin over 27 days, celebrating raw, unedited beauty.

Titled "28 Frames Later", the campaign encourages users to capture their real skincare journey using Olay’s new advanced light-perfecting essence. Each camera is customised with 27 photos, instead of the usual 24 or 36, to mirror the brand’s 28-day skincare transformation claim.

Explaining the insights behind the campaign, Olay's spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the campaign was created based on the fact that  young consumers are rediscovering disposable cameras for capturing raw, textured, unedited moments, making them the perfect tool for this initiative.

Done in collaboration with creative agency Grey Hong Kong, this initiative targets non-toner users, helping them build the habit of using a tone essence as a daily solution to achieve smooth, hydrated, glowing skin.

Running from 5 April and tentatively ending on 25 May, the campaign taps into a growing truth: people want proof, not promises. With conversations shifting toward authenticity, the brand chose to let the product speak for itself.

As part of the campaign, a branded Olay photo booth has been set up at Mannings in Causeway Bay, allowing consumers to capture their transformation instantly and print the pictures, with a reward for participation.

To amplify the campaign, the spokesperson said that social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, TV, in-store, and OOH channels have been leveraged. Olay has also sent special-edition film cameras and products to 100 KOLs and KOCs, inviting them to document 28 days of real skin and join the challenge.

Additionally, the campaign drives online engagement by motivating consumers to share their photos from the disposable cameras and photo booth on social media, turning a simple skincare routine into a powerful statement of self-confidence.

“It’s critical to understand our consumers' real pain points for all our activations,” said Desmond Chow, brand director at Olay Hong Kong. “This campaign was about showing the real transformative results for real consumers. Instead of overpromising, we wanted to give people a way to see the difference for themselves.”

"The whole idea came from what we’re seeing in beauty today, where consumers are moving away from heavy makeup and embracing a glowy, natural look. We turned to something imperfect and unedited—a simple, one-use film roll camera,” said Joe Yue, creative partner at Grey Hong Kong.

“This campaign was about making beauty feel honest again. We’ve seen too many claims propped up by soft lighting and editing. We wanted to do the opposite - show confidence through proof,” said Duffy Lau, managing director at Grey Hong Kong.

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