Ad of the Day: Herbal Essences shows women embracing big life changes through changing their hair
Some people change their hairstyles on a weekly basis, but for others, their hair is part of their identity, and changing it can be a milestone in itself.
Four women in a new short film by Herbal Essences, a P&G brand, are signaling big changes in their lives by changing their hair, and it’s a point that goes way beyond shampoo.
The film, ‘Changes,’ is encouraging women to embrace change in their life – big or small – as a way to live more fully, to see the everyday in new ways.
Inspired by the stories of real women, Herbal Essences is celebrating different aspects of change, and the intimate short documentary film shows the women sharing their backgrounds, their motivations for making a choice to change, and how the outcome of their choice ultimately made them feel more alive.
One woman talks about how she split with her fiancé just three months before their wedding, and with it went her longer hair. Another, a dancer, states that she was told to get a wig so she would land more parts, though she eventually chose to embrace her afro. A musician used to dye her hair to be more punk and less Latina, but eventually found that she loved her hair and wanted to make a change to play jazz. A fourth embraces a new identity by cutting off her hair and later growing it back short.
“Herbal Essences is a brand that has always been about bringing women moments of joy – both in their beauty routine and in their life,” explained Kate Voyten, Herbal Essences brand director. “We consistently hear about change in their life, both the fear of the change itself and the joy that came through making the change, which we celebrate in this video”
To further define change, Herbal Essences conducted an international survey of women ages 18-35 which revealed that the majority of American (87%) and British (80%) women have made significant changes to their appearance after a big life change, and that one-third of women (US: 33%, UK: 36%) believe it would be hard to change their lifestyle without also changing their hair.
Survey results also uncovered the following feelings about change and the positive impact it can have on one’s outlook on life: nine in 10 women (US: 90%, UK: 92%) who have made a change in the past 12 months say their change had a positive impact on their life; three in four (US: 76%, UK: 74%) women who have made changes in the past 12 months note that changing how they look has made it easier to make other changes in their life; and the majority of women in the US (89%) and UK (92%) feel fear of change is worse than change itself.
The brand is also inviting women to contribute their own stories of change, from that memorable haircut to a major life event, beginning with its network of influencers to help further the dialogue. Women who want to participate can join the conversation using #LetLifeIn and #EmbraceChange.
“We all have stories of personal change that have impacted us,” said Voyten, “but the most eye-opening part of change is not only what led you to the choice, but the self discovery that lies on the other side – and the confidence you build to embrace future changes and growth.”
