Cate Blanchett joins P&G for international push

Cate Blanchett (pictured) has been signed up by Procter & Gamble (P&G) to be the global face of its premium skincare brand SK-II. The actress previously fronted the brand in her native Australia.

Her role will now extend to countries including the UK, Spain, the US and Canada. P&G is planning an international advertising push for SK-II featuring the star.

The Japanese SK-II range is one of Asia’s top-selling premium skincare brands. It was first launched in the UK market five years ago and in the US in 2004. The brand has traditionally had a limited amount of advertising activity but this is set to increase with the appointment of Blanchett.

The products are based around a key ingredient, Pitera, a substance extracted from yeast during fermentation process. The company says scientists discovered the ingredient, after noticing workers in a Japanese sake brewery had soft hands.