Partnering with Open Source Afro Hair Library and Black 3D creators to launch the first-ever guide for developing Black hair textures and protective styles in video games, our earned-centric campaign did more than just create awareness of an ongoing issue – we changed opinion and drove progress within the gaming industry.

Fuelled by a keynote presentation at GDC, North America’s largest industry gaming conference, and a comprehensive PR launch, we generated 1.8 Billion impressions, and through direct engagement with various gaming companies and studios, set the course for real change.

The Code My Crown addresses a longstanding blind spot for the gaming industry. When the programs and algorithms were created for the 3D world, they were made for straight (Caucasian) hair.

With social media conversation raising the question of why Black avatars don’t authentically represent those who play video games, Dove commissioned research to unpack the issue. It found that 85% of Black gamers say they feel underrepresented in video games, specifically when it comes to the depiction of their hair textures. This was confirmed in further qualitative research with game developers, those responsible for character creation, as well as through analysis of four of the most popular games, where only 7% of hairstyles are textured and protective styles.

In an increasingly digital world, this was not a niche problem: 48% of game players identify as female, and 29% of game players are people of colour. Additionally, 87% of Gen-Z say they play games, a critical growth audience for Dove. It meant that in an increasingly digital-native world, in which there were now millions of Black female gamers, Black representation could no longer be considered a niche problem.

At a time when many brands are backtracking on their diversity and inclusion efforts, Dove’s commitment to real and tangible action on behalf of underrepresented women continues to set it apart. It had built deep trust with the Black community by advancing the CROWN Act, which helps protect against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles in America.

Using its hard-won credibility garnered across decades of action, Dove is pushing into new frontiers where representation is still a considerable challenge, and where empowerment and expression are still often suppressed and stifled. 

The gaming industry is one of those frontiers. Unlike other forms of media and advertising, the gaming industry has been surprisingly slow to focus on increasing authentic representation of all women on its platforms – with a real impact on gamers’ ability to see or authentically express themselves in gameplay.

Code my Crown was our idea, not one inherited for amplification.

For digital-natives, representation in gaming is as crucial as representation in real life.

But what could Dove could do about lack of representation in gaming? Dove makes beauty products, not games.

74% of developers would play a role in promoting better representation of textured hair in video games – if they could learn how to code textured Black hair.

We collaborated with Open Source Afro Hair Library and a team of Black 3D artists, animators, programmers to create ‘Code my Crown’ - a 200-page downloadable guide training developers in how to code for Black hairstyles.

The initiative offered the coding world the tools to create more inclusive and representative gaming experiences, thereby allowing Black gamers to see their identities more authentically mirrored in their avatars.

Dove's brand activity would earn media attention and affirm self-perception amongst target, spreading Dove's mission and message that beauty should be a source of confidence.

Insight

85% of Black gamers feel underrepresented in video games, specifically when it comes to the depiction of their hair textures.

48% of game players identify as female, and 29% of game players are people of colour.

87% of Gen-Z (critical growth audience for Dove) play games. This means there are now millions of Black female gamers.

Key Message:

Dove's mission is to make beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety, for all women. Positive representation of Black hair textures and styles in gaming gave Dove a fresh, contemporary relevance for its mission.

Target Audiences:

Gaming companies & developers, Gamers and the wider Black community.

Creation & Distribution of Assets:

We launched with press release and campaign film.

Influencers shared on social.

Our lead developer presentation at GDC, North America’s largest industry gaming conference.

Direct engagement with various gaming companies and studios, set the course for real change.

First, we facilitated a partnership with celebrity natural hair stylists and OSAHL to guide development and amplify the campaign.

We worked with Open Source Afro Hair Library and a team of Black 3D artists, animators, programmers, and academics to develop 15 original hair sculpts that laid the foundation for hundreds of virtual hair possibilities. Each sculpt comes with step-by-step instructions, 360-degree photo mapping, and cultural insight so that any developer can better model and represent textured hair and styles in the digital world.

We developed this into a downloadable 200-page guide for programmers worldwide.

The campaign was brought to life with a website, film, social content, gaming influencers and culminated with our lead developer speaking about it at GDC.

And lastly, we engaged with major players in the gaming industry (Ubisoft , Undead Labs and Activision) to incorporate the guide into their game development and employee training after direct engagement.

Top gaming companies Ubisoft, Undead Labs, Activision incorporating it into development processes - total reach 34,000 employees serving 229 million gamers globally.

Engagement :

1.81B+ Earned impressions (not including press release syndication)

100% positive/neutral sentiment across earned and organic conversations

Drove 1.4k mentions and 9.7k engagements across social channels

Engagement rate of 22.9%, outperforming benchmark of 4.3% by +432%, driven in part by our collab post with Dove Partner Nai’Vasha

Brand improvement: sparking cultural relevance by solving a real problem for a community.

81% of Black Gamers said the initiative made them feel more connected with Dove

37% Black gamers and 37% Black Community said Dove is the only brand they would consider buying after seeing the initiative (+7 and +9pts respectively).

Societal change: advancing representation in gaming

2,691 guide downloads to-date

95% of Black gamers agree “the initiative has a positive impact on the gaming industry.”

Over 9 in 10 feel it has a positive impact on society overall (95% Black Gamers, 92% Black Community).

We helped make beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety (delivery on key mission & message):

After seeing the initiative, 8 in 10 Black gamers and Black Community say the initiative made them feel …

More beautiful (81% Black Gamers, 79% Black Community)

Proud of who they are (81% Black Gamers, 79% Black Community)

Proud of the way they look (82% Black Gamers, 81% Black Community)

Proud of their hair (82% Black Gamers, 79% Black Community)

Represented (85% Black Gamers, 82% Black Community)