NEW YORK (AP) — Everyone has had a bad hair day — even entertainers.
So, to promote its new hair care products aimed at fixing dry and damaged hair, Dove has enlisted actress Rashida Jones to star in a new campaign that encourages people to “make friends with your hair.”
In a campaign beginning Monday, Unilever’s Dove is promoting its Dove Nourishing Oil Care Collection of shampoo, conditioner and styling products with TV ads that show Jones contending with frizzy hair while meeting friends at a restaurant and in a yoga class. The ads also promote a contest Dove is holding online in which people can submit videos about their bad hair days.
“If your hair has a mind of its own, tell us about it. You could star in the next Dove Hair Commercial,” the ads state.
WATCH ‘MORNING JOE’ INTERVIEW WITH RASHIDA JONES:
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The ads are in keeping with Dove’s push to featuring “real” women in ads. It has been doing so in campaigns since 2004, when the company introduced its “Campaign for Real Beauty” ads that featured non-models. Since then, the company has founded the “Dove Movement for Self-Esteem,” which partners with organizations, including the Girl Scouts and Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and aims to promote self-esteem in young women.
The latest campaign continues the “real people” theme with the contest. Three finalists who are deemed to have the best stories will win a trip to New York and a haircut makeover. Fans will vote on the overall winner, who will be featured in a TV ad in December.
“Intrinsic to Dove is to be about ‘real beauty,’ and each category has a different take on what that means,” said David Rubin, director of Unilever Hair Brands. In the hair category, ”’real beauty’ is about having not damaged, not overly dry hair, having healthy hair,” Rubin added.
Jones was chosen as a star because the actress, who is Quincy Jones’ daughter, has appeared in “The Office” and stars in “Parks and Recreation.” She also is seen as relatable and able to appreciate women’s hair struggles, Rudin said.
“She’s someone who gets what the concept of ‘real beauty’ is and can tell a specific story about her hair,” he said.
Unilever declined to say how much they are spending on the campaign. Print ads will run in “People” magazine. Social media also plays a factor, including a Facebook Livestream Q&A with well-known hair stylist Mark Townsend and a Twitter presence.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.