How Nocturnal Skincare created a spring campaign for under $100

For Nocturnal Skincare, launched in 2024, co-founder and creative director Daniel Kiyoi says the brand’s approach to creatives is to look “handmade” in an era marred by AI-looking imagery. 

A recent example of a DIY campaign came this spring for Nocturnal, in which Kiyoi shot the brand’s Sakura Season campaign for under $100. Nocturnal Skincare’s branding revolves around the “Japandi” concept, which blends Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian functionality. It currently sells one flagship product, the Polar Night Renewal anti-aging serum, which Nocturnal says was designed to work with the body’s nightly circadian rhythms. 

The Sakura Season campaign not only reflects the founders’ Japanese and Scandinavian roots, but it’s also an example of founders personally taking on all of the tasks needed to create a seasonal campaign on a budget. The campaign was launched with a promotion that gifted the brand’s serum with the purchase of its viral Japanese-inspired knot bag.

Continue reading this article on modernretail.co. Sign up for Modern Retail newsletters to get the latest on the shifting dynamics between retail’s old and new guards.