BLACK HAIR GRADUATION

TitleBLACK HAIR GRADUATION
BrandWELLA PROFESSIONALS
Product / ServiceILLUMINA COLOR
CategoryG04. Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight
EntrantBEACON/LEO BURNETT Tokyo, JAPAN
Idea Creation BEACON/LEO BURNETT Tokyo, JAPAN
Production ONION Tokyo, JAPAN

Credits

Name Company Position
Erick Rosa Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo Chief Creative Officer
Hiroaki Makino Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo Creative Director
Uno Kunimoto Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo Art Director
Kanako Nakanishi Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo Copywriter
Toshiji Kimura Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo Chief Film Producer
Yuya Kato Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo Senior Digital Producer
Mikiko Tamura Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo Group Account Director
Emi Hayashi Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo Account Supervisor
Saori Hosoi Beacon/Leo Burnett Tokyo Account Executive
Tatsuro Nakamura Onion, Inc. Producer
Koji Kaseda Onion, Inc. Producer
Maki Shoji Onion, Inc. Production Manager
Yena Kim Onion, Inc. Production Manager

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation ?

Empowering girls to express their true identity and become powerful young women through brand experience.

Background

Wella Illumina Color is a hair coloring brand used at professional hair salons. In Japan, schools prioritize conformity over self-expression. Everyone must look and act exactly the same. There are hundreds of rules that have to be followed: from the length of the hair, use of accessories and guidelines so strict that can even prohibit the way a girl can trim their eyebrows. Wella believes that at a time that is crucial for girls to develop their identity, something needed to be done. And that one of the best ways to express personality is through hair.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Black Hair Graduation - A movement to help girls become strong young women through self-expression.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

We gave newly-graduated girls free-spirited hair and make-up looks they could never try before.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

So, on graduation day, we selected professional hairdressers to help hundreds of young girls to discover their true self. This PR event was placed in 5 salons across Japan. As the teens had no previous experience, our team of professionals also provided guidance so they could continue to express their true self going forward.

List the results (30% of vote)

- #Black Hair Graduation contributed to increase number of brand campaign site visitors by 25 times. - It also contributed to raise awareness of the Illumina Color brand by 27%. - The movement was organically spread by local Salons, making trend of hair color transformation among Japanese young women at their graduation day.

Please tell us about the social behaviour and/or cultural insights that inspired your campaign

In Japan, schools prioritize conformity over self-expression.