A Culture Of Discipline Where Teachers Are Revered.

In Thailand, teachers are well respected. Culturally, teachers are described as the ‘second set of parents’ who look after children while they're at school. Their role is to instill discipline and impart wisdom for students to become good citizens in the Thai society.

Gone Too Far In The Name Of Teaching Discipline.

Hair rules, standardized hair length and style, are considered one of the methods of instilling discipline among Thai teachers and educators. While this thinking is in line with the Thai culture, the punishment enforced on students has gone too far. In recent years, forced haircuts have been picked up by media and have spurred public controversy. In some cases, students are forced to walk around school with a missing patch of hair. This has turned teaching disciplines into a toxic practice that destroys people’s confidence at a young age.

The creative strategy - #LetHerGrow

A bold campaign built on a consensual starting-point: “everyone agrees that younger generations should grow up in an environment that allows them to become confident adults."

We amplified the voices of psychologists, influencers, girls and women, bringing in teachers rather than seeing them as the enemy. We underscored the negative effect of forced haircuts on confidence and called for solidarity in creating a future where students can grow into the greatest version of themselves.

From this idea Dove built an integrated campaign connecting human insight with rich storytelling, combining creative content with strategic media buys.

A 3-part media strategy:

SKYROCKETING THE ISSUE. Unmissable OOH and a high-profile press conference.

MAKING IT REAL. Research from a leading child psychologist and a portal to share stories and pledge support.

INVOLVING THE EDUCATORS. A new programme of self-esteem education workshops involving the Girls Guides Association of Thailand.

As Thai children returned to school after prolonged pandemic closures, we identified the issue of forced haircuts as an opportunity to express Dove’s self-esteem mission.

In more individualistic cultures Dove could be an activist for change, but research showed that in Thailand that would be seen as confrontational and ‘western’ - a particularly sensitive issue in Thailand at a time when the streets of US cities were being shaken by riots. Being ‘like Americans’ would alienate rather than persuade.

The insight came from behavioural psychology, which indicates that the most effective way to change someone’s mind is not to disagree, but to start with common ground and work back from there.

We realized that the best way to persuade Thai legislators, teachers and public opinion to change their minds on forced haircuts was to build a strategy on a point of universal agreement rather than on a point of controversy.

Background & Context:

In 2021, Thailand’s children returned to school after some of the world’s most prolonged pandemic closures. They were returning to tough rules that had long been used to enforce strict conformity on young people. They faced, once more, the prospect of ‘punishment haircuts’ being administered to anyone whose hair deviated in any way from the one approved style, a short bob.

Dove saw an opportunity to reassert its core values, while reinforcing its unique positioning in the haircare market.

We commissioned research into the effects of enforced haircuts. It found that they had long-lasting effects on the self-esteem of women and girls across the nation. 80% of Thai women Thailand said they could remember a traumatic experience around forced haircuts which impacted their confidence.

An audit of government policy found that in 2020, the government announced moves to allow schools to relax their rules to give girls more freedom. But in reality, little changed. School were still enforcing haircuts, traumatizing 3.3 million girls and 5.4 million student classmates nationwide.

Creative Challenge:

In other markets, Dove has grown by taking a bold stand on controversial issues.

But research showed that in Thai culture that would be seen as too blunt, too confrontational and too ‘western.’ In a culture where authority is respected and teachers are revered, it risked alienating the very people it needed to persuade.

Yet at the same time, pulling back from the urgency of the issue and going with a watered-down message would have been ineffectual.

Dove needed to find a way to bring Thai Government, school officials and the public on board to build an unstoppable groundswell of opinion for change.

Solution:

The insight came from developments in neuroscience and behavioural psychology, which indicate that the most effective way to change someone’s mind is not to emphasise the points where you disagree, but to start with common ground and work back from there.

We realized that the best way to persuade Thai legislators, teachers and public opinion to change their minds on forced haircuts was to build a strategy on a point of universal agreement rather than on a point of controversy.

This became our campaign starting-point:

-Everyone agrees that younger generations should grow up in an environment that allows them to become confident and responsible adults.

Execution LET HER GROW:

The creative route, #LetHerGrow was created to amplify the voices of psychologists, influencers, women of all ages. It even brought in teachers, rather than seeing them as the enemy. It underscored the negative effect of forced haircuts on student confidence and called for solidarity in creating a future where students can grow into the greatest version of themselves.

We chose the short, ear-length bob haircut -- recognizable as the ‘right’ way for Thai students to wear their hair -- as a creative device to ignite conversation and engagement. Through a series of high-visibility assets designed for engagement, we transformed the bob from a symbol of oppression into a unifying demand for change.

#LetHerGrow revived the brand’s fortunes and made the world a better place for 33MM women by overcoming a deeply ingrained injustice in Thai hair culture.

BUSINESS RESULTS

Revenue INCREASED +11.1% from -7.1% to +5%, within 12 months.

MARKETING RESULTS

Market share decline reversed: +0 .5% growth from 8.8% to 9.3%.iii

BEHAVIOURAL RESULTS

Influencers reached 7.35 million followers, generating 118,200 likes and shares. This represents 10% of total Thai population AND 22% of its women.

2,700 people pledged support

700 people shared experiences

In the month following launch, online conversation around forced haircuts increased +366%.

COMMUNICATIONS RESULTS

Brand Power score 12.3, the highest level for five years, despite a -50% lower spend vvi.

+27% top-of-mind awareness

+15% Meaningful

+8.5% Salience

PURPOSE-LED RESULTS

The Ministry of Education announced in January 2023, “Ministry lifts ‘unfair’ rules on hairstyles” – calling for an end to forced haircuts, for good.