Gillette Expands Diversity in Gaming

A digital island in the popular videogame Animal Crossing isn’t the beach many were expecting, but it’s the beach many people have this summer amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, thanks to Gillette Venus and the launch of its new Skinclusive Summer Line by Venus, women everywhere can enjoy the sensations of summer virtually in Animal Crossing with characters that represent the diversity of their skin in real life.
 
Venus partnered with digital designer, Nicole Cuddihy, to co-create new avatar designs within Animal Crossing that serve as the largest offering of skin-inclusive designs to ever be available within the game. This collection is taking Animal Crossing from just a few representations of skin to 19 different skin types in 8 in-game skin tones, resulting in over 250 designs that include common skin realities like freckles, acne, hair, cellulite, scars and stretch marks, and more unique and under-represented skin like vitiligo, tattoos, psoriasis, and differently-abled bodies.
 
‘My Skin. My Way’ Campaign
 
The launch of the Summer Skinclusive Line by Venus is the newest activation of the Venus “My Skin. My Way” campaign, which is the brand’s commitment to stand up for every woman’s right to feel comfortable and live freely in her own skin. Now, women around the world are expressing themselves and their individuality on Animal Crossing, which is most popular among women ages 19-24.
 
“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,” commented Cuddihy.
 
To celebrate the launch of the Skinclusive Summer Line by Venus and National Beach Day, Venus will host an Animal Crossing “Skinclusive Summer Social” event on YouTube Live on Monday, August 31.