Pantene’s #HairHasNoGender Campaign

Pantene’s #HairHasNoGender campaign empowers the LGBTQ+ community to feel comfortable in their skin

Launched in 2022 in collaboration with the 2SLGBTQ+ community, the Pantene #HairHasNoGender campaign delves into the need for inclusive workplaces and the meaning behind hair when it comes to different cultures and backgrounds. A reaction to the fact that 53% of 2SLGBTQ+ feel the need to hide their identity at work, this campaign explores people’s experiences with the way they look and how that’s affected their being, specifically at work. 

The #HairHasNoGender campaign’s website states that it partnered with the 2SLGBTQ+ community, which, as a gentle reminder, stands for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning and additional sexual orientations and gender identities. Groups of individuals that represent different corners of the 2SLGBTQ+ community were featured in a short film where they talked about their unique experiences with their hair, their youth and their turning point as to when they started to finally feel comfortable with the way they look and the features they possess. 12 members from across the globe – Joppe, Katy, Yaroslav, Charlie, Vivek, Angela, Eduardo, Strify, Camilla, Erika, Cathy and Silvano – tell their stories where the recurring theme taps into how powerful people’s connection to their hair can be and how it truly forms their inner essence, while providing a strong message that people should be able to wear their hair as they please. And this is because it forms a key part of a human being’s identity. 

To support the campaign and ensure it reaches as many people as possible, Patene partnered with 2SLGBTQ+ organisations from around the world, including Pride at Work Canada, which empowers Canadian employers to build workplaces that celebrate all employees regardless of gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Pantene also brought the Dresscode Project on board, a collective that aims to empower and help educate hair stylists and barbers to give people haircuts that help them look the way they feel. This brilliant network of like-minded people connects brands with beauty professionals and 2SLGBTQ+ allies for them to work together to create positive change in their respective industries. 

Pantene worked closely with the teams behind Pride at Work Canada and the Dresscode Project to create educational materials and tips for big organisations, independent businesses and individuals to help make their workplaces more inclusive and teach colleagues how to be actively inclusive to one another. Working in a grassroots manner, this campaign showcases how brands can themselves become allies of the 2SLGBTQ+ in ways that feel authentic and help create genuine much-needed positive change.  

Watch the campaign video here:

And visit the campaign website here.