The hijab, a head scarf, is worn by more than 70% of women in Malaysia. Religious sensitivities also forbid showing hair in any communications to hijab-wearing women. These were real challenges for Sunsilk shampoo, which is all about making women’s hair look good so they feel great. But our key insight was that, for our consumers, the hijab was slowly becoming a fashion statement, as well as a symbol of religious values. Women were not just wearing but styling their hijabs. So as a major shampoo manufacturer, we swapped hair styling for hijab styling. We encouraged young Malaysian women to experiment with fresh hijab styles and express their individuality creatively. The fashion industry had never seen anything like it. Sunsilk Clean & Fresh (CnF) – a variant formulated specifically for young, hijab-wearing women – would help them make the most of their individual beauty while improving comfort with its new formulation.

We created a new, iconic hijab style (called ‘Sunsilk Twist’) and launched it at fashion shows. It made front cover on several leading women’s magazines. To encourage the trend, we posted videos on how to recreate the ‘Sunsilk Twist’ on websites popular with 65% of our target - YouTube and Facebook. Our videos also explained how using Sunsilk CnF and letting it dry before wearing the hijab can prevent complaints, like itchy scalp, common in covered hair. As the trend grew, we created a TV drama in which a shy girl realises her dream of becoming a top hijab stylist. Then dreams became reality. Our nationwide search for talented new hijab stylists and models was made into a broadcast and online TV show. It told their stories as they competed to win the ultimate prize: to see their winning design feature in the glamorous Islamic Fashion Festival in Kuala Lumpur.

Swapping hair styling for hijab styling was a winning move for Sunsilk. We created over 105 million impressions on digital media with Malaysian women viewing our YouTube content more than 3.5 million times. Sunsilk gained almost 28,000 new fans on Facebook with over 300,000 engagements. After decline of –5 % in 2012, Sunsilk registered a +9% growth in 2013. And Sunsilk’s brand image received a double-digit boost on statements of ‘making hair beautiful’ and ‘clean and fresh scalp’. Sunsilk has successfully created an affinity with hijab-wearing Malaysian women.