Kosé Names Shohei Ohtani Global Ambassador
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Kosé Corp. has looked to Major League Baseball for its newest ambassador.
The Japanese beauty company has appointed Shohei Ohtani its global ambassador. Ohtani, a player for the Los Angeles Angels, will start showing up in the U.S. campaigns for Decorté and Sekkisei, Kosé’s flagship brands, advertising lotions and sun care.
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“While he is celebrated around the world for his incredible athleticism, it is his sincere attitude and sense of integrity that convinced us he would be the best match for our company,” said Kazutoshi Kobayashi, president and chief executive officer of Kosé, in a statement. “He embodies our values and our 3G strategic vision that focuses on global, gender and generation. As we increase our global presence, we want to be a company that celebrates beauty across all regions and countries, across all genders and across all ages.”
The announcement follows the 2020 appointment of actress Brie Larson as Decorté’s muse, part of the brand’s larger effort to capture greater share of mind and wallet in North America.
As reported by WWD, the U.S. is a core tenet of Kosé’s growth strategy, with sales in the U.S. expected to quadruple by 2026. Per its financial results, net sales in 2022 reached 289.1 billion yen, a 7.1 percent increase from 2021, and North America comprised 13.9 percent of that sum.
Ohtani’s new role also comes as beauty and sports are converging. Skin care brand Bubble named football player Justin Jefferson an ambassador last year; genderless nail polish line Un/Dn Laqr tapped NBA player Jalen Green for its first ambassadorship last month. And Ohtani himself also became an ambassador for New Balance early this year.
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