Pantene explores strict Japanese school rules for hairstyles with new campaign

Pantene has launched a new haircare campaign in Japan, focusing on the prevalence of strict hairstyle rules in public schools.

The Procter & Gamble (P&G) brand has unveiled "#HairWeGo What's Wrong With My Hair," a social campaign that aims to encourage discussion about hairstyle rules in Japanese schools, which often require students to keep hair in low ponytails, dye their naturally brown hair black, or offer proof of their natural color via a ‘Natural Hair Certificate.'

"News of high school students being forced to dye their hair black provided the inspiration for this campaign," said Yoshiaki Okura, Regional Associate Brand Director, Hair Care Focused Market at Procter & Gamble, in a statement. "Hair represents one's individuality, both chosen and innate. Overly strict school rules are restricting both types and no one seems to understand why." He added: "We hope that the '#HairWeGo What's Wrong With My Hair' campaign will bring attention to this issue, and provide a catalyst for dialogue that will help create a society where students are respected as individuals."

As part of the campaign Pantene spoke to 1,000 current and former high school and middle school students and teachers about haircare rules, and discovered that both groups had questions about the need for such strict regulations. The research found that, while one in 13 current and former middle and high school students said they had been "urged" to dye their brown hair black, 70% of teachers had "doubts" about hairstyle rules at their school.

Pantene is not the only brand to explore the link between hairstyles and individuality recently. Popstar Kelly Rowland teamed up with Dove back in February to pen a new single, "Crown," about hair confidence. The track aimed to encourage girls to feel confident in wearing their hair how they choose, and was inspired by several real-life stories of girls dealing with bullying or being sent home from school for their hairstyles.