Tatcha first launched its Dewy Skin Cream in 2019. Since then, the purple moisturizer has become one of the brand’s best-known products. “When we go into new markets or new retailers, we lead with Dewy — it’s instantly recognizable for the brand,” said Nicole Frusci, Tatcha’s CMO.
Today, six years later, the brand is introducing a new member of the family — the Dewy Milk Moisturizer ($64), now available on Sephora.com.
To do so, it has tapped Olympic gymnast Sunisa “Suni” Lee, 22, as the face of the launch campaign — the partnership marks the first time the 16-year-old brand has had a celebrity face. Lee has 3.5 million Instagram followers and 3.7 million TikTok followers. The campaign for Dewy Milk, Frusci said, centers around the idea of bounce, balance and lightness.
“We didn’t choose Suni because she’s an athlete, … [but] to say that an Olympic gymnast has bounce, balance and lightness is pretty [aligned],” she said.
The campaign will be featured in out-of-home ads around New York City, and Tatcha will offer a “Suni Bundle” of products on its e-commerce site.
“I have been a huge fan of Tatcha for as long as I can remember,” Lee told Glossy. “The Dewy Milk Moisturizer is now a staple in my morning and night routines. I love that it’s so lightweight, nourishing and bouncy.”
Tatcha has been teasing the launch for about a week on social media, resulting in two times the brand’s normal engagement, including comments and DMs. The brand has 1.3 million Instagram followers and 157,000 TikTok followers.
Tatcha has long been popular among makeup lovers, Frusci said.
In 2020, celebrity makeup artist Daniel Martin, known for his work with Meghan Markle, joined the brand as its global director of artistry, a role Tatcha’s founder, Vicky Tsai, created specifically for him. Though the brand sells not one but two primers, the original Dewy Skin Cream has become a fan favorite for layering under makeup. “We have a higher percentage of creators who talk about us who are makeup-first, skin-care-second,” Frusci said. “We are seen as the skin-care brand that’s great for makeup consumers,”
Still, Dewy Skin Cream is fairly rich in texture, so the creation of Dewy Milk came from an organic consumer need. “While we continue to see double-digit growth in Dewy Skin Cream, there’s still a large percentage of people saying it’s too heavy and rich for their skin type — and they want that dewy glow, too,” Frusci said.
To mark the arrival of the new product, the brand is hosting a two-day pop-up in Soho at the end of the month. Lee will make an appearance, as will Jiyū Chan — the brand’s new mascot, a bunny that leans into its Japanese heritage. Recognizing that both pop-up attendees and people with oily skin tend to skew younger, the brand decided to use the opportunity to lean into kawaii — the aesthetic of cuteness popular in Japanese culture.
“We really wanted to leverage our Japanese heritage,” Frusci said. “We created Jiyū Chan with an entire backstory: He bounced in from Tokyo, and he’s coming to meet our community with Suni.” Jiyū Chan plushie bag charms — well-timed, given the current hype around Labubus — will be given to those who make purchases at the pop-up. Guests will also enjoy Solid Wiggles jelly desserts and Isshiki Matcha.
“It’s really about connecting with our consumer, giving them an opportunity to test the product before it hits shelves, and allowing them to experience the world of Tatcha in a new, fun and playful way,” Frusci said.
