Kojie.san marks its 15th anniversary with a stunning sculpture that showcases its unique story and spirit
Alaminos, Laguna, isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when you’re thinking about compelling artwork or pioneering skincare products. And yet, the agro-industrial municipality situated some 75 km away from Manila, is where you’ll find both.
At one of the manufacturing plants of BEVi Group, the company behind the groundbreaking skin and personal care brand Kojie.san, tasteful paintings line the walls and floors of blinding-white interiors that resemble a well-appointed gallery or museum. The selections are thought provoking, for sure, but it’s the latest addition to this highly curated collection that leaves guests and employees alike gazing in awe.
Installed on the wall of the main lobby, Okurimono (or “gift,” in Japanese) by visual artist and sculptor Jinggoy Buensuceso, appears like a giant explosion of black-and-red metal pieces shaped to resemble the crinkles and creases of crumpled paper. Adjacent to this jarring visual is Red Moon, a simple red circular sculpture, also by Buensuceso.
Words like “daring,” “wonder,” “romance,” and “an unforgettable contrast between old and new” have been used to describe Buensuceso’s arresting oeuvre. But they might as well have been describing Kojie.san’s history, too. After all, the sculptures, which were commissioned to commemorate the brand’s 15th year in the business, are said to be the best representations of Kojie.san and its mission of empowering people to “command beauty”—that is, to define beauty on their own terms.
The Kojie.san story is an inspiring one, similar in vein to tales of a rookie making it to the mythical five. In 2006, when the market was saturated with skin whitening products, Kojie.san was the newbie with a single product to its name—a bar of soap. Instead of using the same lightening agents that other soap brands had tried and tested, the brand introduced kojic acid. Highly recommended by dermatologists, kojic acid is scientifically proven to lighten skin, gently erasing scars, sun damage, and age spots—by blocking the formation of tyrosine, an amino acid needed in producing melanin that’s responsible for skin pigmentation.
While effective, kojic acid was then an unfamiliar ingredient. Despite this very fact, Kojie.san was brave and resolute in their vision to stand alone. Sticking to the status quo of the soap industry was simply unacceptable. It believed in the uniqueness and the power of their product, and so the brand set out to create and redefine their own path to success.
It didn’t take long for Kojie.san to prove itself right: the soap did pique the consumers’ curiosity, especially since there was nothing like kojic acid in the market, and it instantly became a favorite. Word-of-mouth spread among fans, and as their excitement and fervor grew, so did demand. Soon, Kojie.san became a must-have, one of the most sought-after beauty products in the market. Forging its own way was its path to success.
Fifteen years after their audacious debut, Kojie.san is a bonafide triumph, having grown to offer even more products to their consumers in other categories. But it’s not just the recognizable brand name that people attract people to the it, but its spirit and promise of always choosing to be fearlessly unique, no matter what others say or try to do.
This 15-year-journey is breathtaking story of how a single, headstrong brand dared to be different and emerged beautiful and triumphant from a challenge-filled road. And it’s not long before one realizes the parallels of this story with Buensuceso’s sculpture. When one sees the stark, strong Red Moon facing off with the jagged and chaotic shards from Okurimono, one sees Kojie.san.
What a beautiful way to honor a legacy.
