Pantene - #HairHasNoGender / Family Photo Recreated (2020) :60 (USA)

Continuing from the Pantene campaign strategy that seems to have taken a page from Sunsilk Thailand's ideas, in this ad we get to meet a few transgender people around the world. From Spain to Sweden and the USA, these are people who are recreating old photographs with their family members. Vivek Shraya, Travis Alabanza, Lea T, Angela Ponce and Johanna all share how much hair has mattered to them throughout their lives, as the growing and styling of it is a very big part in how they wish to present themselves. While I agree with the hashtag #HairHasNoGender, as you can have short hair and be a lady and have poodle rock long and hair and be a man, it seems to go against what the people in this ad are saying. To them styling their hair in a more traditionally sexed fashion means that they are presenting themselves as the other sex. Vivek Shraya isn't nurturing long blond locks because they're channeling Axl Rose or Dee Snyder. Travis Alabanza isn't feeding those perfect curls because they want to look like Slash. Hair does indeed not have a gender, so why are we attaching that idea to it? And the old Reddit meme of recreating photos is so very tired these days, this ad is one big yawn of borrowed interest.

Client: Pantene