Do I need Pantene to tell me not conform?
A new shampoo campaign highlighting the hypocrisy of gender bias has made Caitlin Porter ask whether brands should get involved in such sensitive debates.
Pantene has recently debuted their latest advertising campaign, but it’s not what we have come to expect of the haircare industry. In fact, it’s nothing like it.
If you haven’t yet seen it, here is the link to the Youtube video:
Hey Leftie. Julia Gillard’s speech, was all about kicking the player and not the ball. The ad got your attention – job done.
This is the first haircare ad that hasn’t made me feel inferior. I’m ecstatic to see that this time they aren’t showing me Zooey Deschanel and telling me that by using Pantene I can have hair just like hers.
I think we should be rejoicing that we are seeing a campaign that encourages women to feel good about themselves.
Great article, Caitlin! Loads of women don’t know sexism is still an issue though so I figure whoever’s talking about it (big brand or mum at dinner table) so be it, it needs to be said
Agree with Lexi – let’s take it wherever we can get it! The conversation must continue.
Doesn’t influence my hair product choices, so thanks for the CSA Pantene!
Great piece Caitlin!
Thanks Pantene. It’s nice to see our female protagonist still has gorgeous hair despite a gender pay gap of 17.5%!
I just watched an ad which said ‘with the confidence of great hair (acheived with Pantene) you don’t need to be held back by negative, sexist badging’. What I didn’t watch was an ad which implied a shampoo brand was about to embark on a campaign for sexual equality. They may well go on to try this but for now all it says is that Pantene have uncovered a relevant consumer insight and are endevouring to empower their target audience to have the confidence to take on the challenge they face. I’m not convinced it’s as controversial as this article makes out.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend is a well-worn path.
Just because it is facile and morally manipulative for a hair care brand to attach itself to this doesn’t make this bad advertising.
In fact it’ll probably flog truckloads more root-shiner.
You make some excellent points in this article Caitlyn! I too am a little torn between being bitter that Pantene has only produced this ad because feminism is trendy at the moment and being elated that the ad highlights the staggering hypocrisy that has plagued our working lives for ever.
Overall I think it’s a great ad and every little bit helps; even if it is fleeting and perhaps a bit superficial.
(Comment no.1 is astonishingly moronic and neanderthalic, just btw)
Maybe P & G can run this ad in Afghanistan and certain African countries amongst others.
It’s not quite shouting it out across the globe.
It breaks the mould. It demands attention. It gets people talking.
It’s a solid ad. The creatives behind it should be applauded.
The ad industry all over the world is now trying to hijack social causes. It makes me want to pewk.The industry which has stoked the fires of rampant materialism and gluttony – and all it’s ills- now turns around and claims to want to save us in a breathtakingly hypocritical way. Like Pantene cares. They almost certainly have research to say their young market are idealistic – what young people aren’t? So they’ve cynically come up with a “higher cause” as it’s now called in advertising briefs everywhere. The worst was Leo Burnetts Sydney trying to bring peace between Pakistan and India using Coke machines. That’s the same Coke that rules the category responsible for an obesity plague amongst young Americans.
Caitlin, do you really wonder “…since when did having fabulous hair empower you as a modern woman?” I’m surprised you’d question such a blindingly obvious, not-terribly-insightful-at-all “insight”.
Whatever the merits of the wider strategy (and I applaud the effort but hope the execution becomes less generically bland “pan-Asian” next time), I guarantee you P&G have cabinets full of research confirming that having fabulous hair empowers every woman.
IMHO this is great for Pantene. The discussion’s relevant and the brand’s reinforcing rather than hijacking it. Now they should back that up, supporting businesswoman of the year awards, female entrepreneur awards etc.
Nicely written CP. Good on you for talking it up. Well played.
I would prefer to see companies promoting things in their advertising like whether they use animal testing etc. I don’t look to my shampoo and conditioner for advice on how to conduct myself in my career…