Japanese entertainment agency, HARIPRO is well known for teaming brands up with actors and entertainers in Asia, particularly in China.
Having launched an online shop in Alibaba's 'T-MALL' in China, 'SK-II' has invested in celebrity status.
Japanese actor Yuki Furukawa recently visited Guangzhou to promote the brand as it's 'poster boy'.
"I think the biggest reason SK-II chose Mr. Furukawa Yuki is that, Yuki's image is quite fitting with the equity of SK-II. He is an honest man, with elegance and always for confidence, which is what SK-II wants to present," said an SK-II Public Relations Officer.
Korean beauty brands also believe in celebrity influence
Cosmetic companies in South Korea have taken to enlisting male K-pop icons in an effort to expand beyond its borders and take on the global giants like L'Oreal and Unilever across the continent.
According to Euromonitor, South Korean men spend $900 million a year on beauty products, more than a fifth of the global total and it is cosmetic companies like Amorepacific and LG Household & Healthcare that want to establish themselves as premium products, with a distinctly Asian sensibility.
"Cosmetics sales are said to mirror the popularity of Korean cultural exports, so K-pop stars are the best way to market our products," said Kim Hee-jeong, marketing manager of LG Household's The Face Shop, which has over 1,000 overseas stores.
For the region's young consumers who have been raised on K-pop, the metro-sexual appeal of South Korean boy bands like 2PM, Big Bang and Super Junior, are said to be a quality Western or Japanese competitors cannot deliver.