SOCIETY THAT IMPOSES UNIFORMITY

In Japan people are pressured to follow a social standard. Behaving or appearing different from the norm is not only discouraged but oppressed.

IT STARTS FROM CHILDHOOD

And this cultural oppressions on children is huge. Although bullying is a global problem, the situation in Japan is more alarming. A child who is different from the others will be a target. So, parents tell their children to be or to behave in a certain way (even if it is different from their nature), just to fit in.

WHAT CAN PANTENE DO TO BREAK THE NORM?

Pantene believes that differences are something to be proud of. Differences are exactly what makes us who we are. As a haircare brand, how can we defy norms and inspire next generations of parents and children to be true to themselves and to appreciate and love their uniqueness?

WE CREATED A “HAIRY TALE” – A STORY OF CELEBRATING THE DIFFERENCE

We found the ideal hair model to break the cultural norm. Her name is Baby Chanco, an adorable 1-year-old girl from Kyoto Japan who has become famous for her hair – so abundant and luxurious that it has made her an instant Instagram star. Her mother Mami Kano has kept posting her daughter’s extraordinary full head of hair just because she thinks it’s cute and loves it. But at the beginning she got many negative comments such as “she should get a haircut” and “I feel sorry because she is exposed to public ridicule”. Pantene featured the story of Baby Chanco and her mother for its new campaign “#HairWeGo – My Great Hair Moves Me Forward” to encourage next generation of parents and children to fearlessly express themselves, and not to hide them or normalize them.

WOMEN ARE CONDITIONED TO SHUN DIFFERENCES.

A research conducted with 32,773 consumers reveals that 53% of Japanese females (age group 10-20 years) say “I always feel uneasy when I am different from others” (vs. 42%, men 10-20 years)

A NEW GENERATION OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN IS THE KEY

This tendency of worrying about their differences is built since childhood. Especially for girls, parents keep telling them that harmony and conformity are virtuous. Girls grow up believing that it’s better to be the same as everyone else.

THROUGH THE STORY OF BABY CHANCO, PANTENE CELEBRATES THE BEAUTY OF BEING DIFFERENT

Pantene believes that differences should be celebrated, not criticized. Our differences are exactly what makes us who we are. Through the story of Baby Chanco and her mother, we conveyed the message that it is okay to

HAIRY TALE VIDEO

We created an adorable picture-book-style video called Hairy Tale, the story of Baby Chanco, depicting herself and her mother who loves and cherishes her daughter’s hair and fights pressures of forcing her the same as others.

LAUNCHED ON HER BIRTHDAY

We launched the video on December 23, her 1-year-old-birthday, on her Instagram where we knew her approx. 300,000 followers from different countries would love it and start talking about it.

HAIRY TALE PITURE BOOK

Hairy Tale has also been turned into a picture book, distributed in schools all over Japan.

“HAIR WE GO” NEW YEAR RESOLUTION

We placed the newspaper ad on Jan 7, the first day after new year vacation when many Japanese express new year resolutions on social media. With the line “#HairWeGo for 2019” we featured Baby Chanco with TV announcer Sato Kondo, who has been applauded for letting her hair grow gray.

WITH NO VIDEO AD EXPOSURE,

HAIRY TALE BECAME A GLOBAL CULTURAL PHENOMENON

Without any video ad placement, Hair Tale earned over 21.4 BILLION media impressions. With 830MM social media engagements, we ignited a conversation about the importance of being different. Twitter and Instagram comments were filled with touching posts such as; “You made me realize difference is very precious!”, “I was in tears. My son also had voluminous hair and I cut it when he was 6 months. I regret it”, “I almost cried. I want my kids to grow up being proud of their difference”

HAIRY TALE WAS PICKED UP NATIONALLY AND GLOBALLY

208 Japanese and 569 international media across categories featured the work, including: ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, CNN, Today, Washington Post, Evening Standard, People, Vogue and more

HAIRY-TALE BUSINESS RESULT

During the period, market share grew with the index of 112 vs. 1 year ago