Tyrelle Davis and Faith Fennidy, both 11- years old, made headlines when they were sent home from school because of their hair extensions. Eleven-year-old Jorja Orrick was bullied for having short hair, which prompted her sister Sarah to cut her own locks in solidarity. With real stories like these and a history of helping young girls build self-esteem, Dove was inspired to join forces with Kelly Rowland to write and produce an original song titled, “Crown” — a power anthem that aims to break down the narrow definition of beautiful hair and encourage girls to feel confident in wearing it how they choose. The resounding call: “Wear it proud. #MyHairMyCrown.”
“Growing up, I felt many of the pressures young girls face today when it comes to embracing their hair, but my mom would always tell me that your hair is your crowning glory and you should wear it proudly,” said Kelly Rowland. “This song is very personal to me and, having met many of the real girls who inspired it, I am incredibly proud to be partnering with Dove to spark this conversation and encourage girls everywhere to love their hair.”
Dove has long been committed to celebrating all hair types and styles through campaigns such as Love Your Curls and Love Your Hair. To further these efforts, the brand conducted a survey to better understand how to inspire hair confidence in young girls. The study found that 65 percent of young girls view their hair as a form of self-expression, however, nearly 50 percent say their hair can make them feel self-conscious. The brand also discovered that 71 percent of girls look to music as an influential factor in their lives, which inspired the brand to reach girls through this medium with the creation of “Crown”.
“Dove wants all young girls, and women, to have the confidence to wear their hair any way they choose and to see their hair as a source of confidence, not anxiety,” said Piyush Jain, Unilever Vice President of Marketing and General Manager of Hair Care. “As a brand, we are committed to celebrating all hair types, especially for young girls who start thinking about their hair’s appearance as early as age 7. Working with Kelly Rowland to produce ‘Crown’ allows us to share that message in an exciting way that we believe will resonate with girls everywhere.”
To help spread the anthem’s inspiring message, the brand will make a cameo during “E! Live From The Red Carpet: The 2019 Grammy Awards” ahead of the biggest award show in music on February 10, 2019. The special two-minute, a televised spot will feature clips from the music video for “Crown”, directed by Hannah Lux Davis, and a special message from Kelly Rowland to inspire people everywhere to join in the #MyHairMyCrown conversation.
Additionally, Dove Global Self-Esteem Ambassador, Jess Weiner, and Dove Self-Esteem Educator, Dre Brown, will lead an impactful workshop specifically designed to address topics around expressing self-confidence through embracing and celebrating all hair types. Kelly Rowland will reveal the curriculum and serve as a mentor during the workshop with young people from a local Boys & Girls Club. Dove is the largest provider of self-esteem education in the world. Through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, we have reached 29 million young people with a goal to reach another 20 million by 2020. Dove is encouraging young girls and women from all over to join in spreading this anthem far and wide. Head to YouTube and Vevo to watch and share the music video and exclusive behind the scenes content featuring the real girls who inspired the song.
Debuting February 6, 2019, the single will be released on Universal Music’s Island Records UK and available to stream on all streaming platforms.
About Dove Hair offers a wide range of solutions that provide deep nourishment and repair to meet women’s specific hair needs, whether it is dry, frizzy, in need of volume or damaged. The range includes shampoo, conditioners, treatments and styling products.
About Unilever United States, Inc. Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Caress, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Schmidt’s Naturals, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington’s, St. Ives, Suave, Sundial Brands, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TONI&GUY, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Unilever employs approximately 8,000 people in the United States – generating more than $9 billion in sales in 2017. Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan underpins the company’s strategy and commits to:
● Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020.
● Having the environmental impact of our products by 2030.
● Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020. The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. Globally, the company’s sustainable living brands grew 46% faster than the rest of the business and delivered more than 70% of the company’s growth in 2017.
For more information on Unilever U.S., its brands, and the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan visit: www.unileverusa.com
