Vult, a sister brand of O Boticário—Brazil's largest and most beloved beauty brand—focuses on empowering lower and middle-class women, particularly Black individuals, with haircare products suited for the diverse Brazilian population. The brand stands for self-pride and societal change by celebrating the origin, race, and social class of Brazilian women, enhancing individual self-esteem and also inspiring others within the community.

In early 2024, Vult aimed to target university students, a key demographic for its growth, and decided to go beyond a typical shampoo campaign, choosing instead to deepen connections through consumer needs and diverse narratives. The objective was twofold: to solidify Vult's presence in hair care, while staying true to its mission of societal transformation through inclusivity and women empowerment. With the creation of inclusive graduation cap models for Afro-descendant hair, the brand reinforced its commitment to celebrating diverse identities and stories.

Despite improved access to education for Black Brazilians, traditional graduation caps still exclude them because they were tailored for European straight hair and do not fit Afro-descendant hair, reflecting a clear design bias. To address this, Vult collaborated with the Black fashion designer duo Dendezeiro to create graduation caps that accommodate and honor the unique characteristics of black women's hair, giving Black people the freedom to express their identity at graduation ceremonies, celebrating their life and educational achievements, and empowering both current and future graduates. The collection became a highlight at São Paulo Fashion Week, gained attention from major media outlets, inspired a law for inclusive graduation caps in Salvador—the "blackest city outside of Africa"—and was adopted by major Brazilian universities. This redesign sparked a societal dialogue on the authenticity of equality and inclusion in education and stimulated pride among Black people throughout Brazil.

Seeing the 400% increase in black students at universities while there is still a significant gap in the inclusion of academic achievement symbols, Vult identified an opportunity to talk to an underserved public, creating a product that valued and catered to their specific needs. The brand's message highlighted Vult's commitment to inclusion and diversity to their target audience, which included black students, educational institutions, and the broader community interested in equality. The campaign relied on emotional assets such as recreated graduation photos and a mini-documentary featuring Dr. Joana Angélica (Brazil's first black university dean) making the entire initiative widely disseminated through fashion, education, business, and many other media outlets. This strategy ensured broad visibility and engagement, promoting a more comprehensive discussion on diversity and inclusion in the academic environment and positioning Vult as the starter of a very necessary and important conversation.

Vult partnered with Black fashion duo Dendezeiro to create different graduation cap models for Black women: one for dreadlocked or braided hair, adaptable with a scarf; one for turbans, with a top opening; one for voluminous or curly hair, with a inner tiara for a secure fit; and one with fork combs, honoring the icon that has adorned Black power crowns over the decades.

It was launched with a mini-documentary featuring Dr. Joana Angélica, Brazil's first Black woman university dean, and past graduates who recreated their graduation photos, now wearing the caps.

The collection became a highlight at São Paulo Fashion Week, gaining attention from the media, sparking conversations on social, and even inspiring a law. Adopted by major Brazilian universities, it enabled Black graduates to express their identity and feel a sense of belonging at their ceremonies, transforming a symbol of racial bias into an icon of Black pride.

Four days after the launch, without any media spending, "Grad in Black" became the most viewed and shared content in the brand's history, setting new benchmarks for engagement and receiving 97% positive feedback.

It generated over 420 million impressions, demonstrating significant public interest and engagement, with more than 13 million organic views of the content on social networks.

Major media outlets in Brazil responded organically, yielding USD 3.5 million in earned media coverage.

The inclusive graduation caps have been adopted by Brazil's main universities, confirming the idea's practical applicability and endorsement by academic institutions. The open-source designs were downloaded in 21 countries, indicating strong global community engagement and utility.

Following widespread discussion on the topic, Salvador—the city with the largest Black population outside Africa — created a law mandating the adoption of inclusive graduation caps by universities, demonstrating the initiative's influence on public policy and its potential for long-term impact.