Today in Weird Things We're Glad Aren't Happening to Us, Procter & Gamble's Head & Shoulders brand has released "Scalp Brave," a campaign that goes roughly where you think it's headed ... just not in the way you imagined it would.
Conceived by the twisted minds at Saatchi & Saatchi London, the campaign's premise is neatly encapsulated by the closing lines in three behind-the-scenes videos: "100% flake free hair. Have the confidence to be #scalpbrave."
"Brave" is definitely a word for it. But don't let your mind wander down the road of elaborate mohawks and six-layer Louis XIV hairdos. Yawn—too obvious. Instead, creative barber Rob the Original was enlisted to do one of the things he does best: Approach the soft, magnificent tufts of regular people and shave portraits of other people's faces—specifically, Head & Shoulders' own celebrity ambassadors—into them.
In one video, watch Rob coolly shave the face of actress Sofia Vergara into the crown of a man, whose own long tresses are partially curled to frame her knowing smile. She even has her own hair part!
Next, an understandably nervous-looking guy gets the visage of Mexican footballer Giovani Dos Santos etched into his skull, complete with a shock of white teeth and his stylishly slicked bangs:
Lastly, and in an act of crowning glory, this dude loses a full one-third of his afro to make room for football wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., complete with bleached top and blue football jersey.
The aim was to "empower people to be bold, brave and celebrate the confidence that Head & Shoulders gives," according to the press release. This also marks a departure from its more classical ways of demonstrating the benefits of a flake-free scalp; you just can't host good art when you're itchy and snowing.
But the videos above serve as more of a pretext to the print campaign, shot by Oleg Tolstoy, a descendant of that guy who gave us Anna Karenina. "Famous for his celebrity portraits," (who knew?) "Tolstoy was chosen for his striking and beautiful portraiture," the brand explains.
The campaign went live late last week across social channels and will be pushed by brand ambassadors Dos Santos, Vergara and Beckham. Print and poster activations will run in North America. Catch those down here:
CREDITS
—Film Credits
Client: Procter & Gamble, Head & Shoulders
Title: Scalp Brave
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi London
Global Chief Creative Officer: Kate Stanners
Executive Creative Directors: Rob Potts, Andy Jex
Global Creative Director: Clinton Manson
Creative Directors: Celeste Dalairac, Marion Cohen
Copywriters: Mark Slack, Jack Davies
Art Directors: Tom Young, Miguel Sousa
Planner: Paula Vampre
Account Handler: Toby Clarke
Producer: Benedict Murray
Production Company: Tomboy Films / Saatchi Digital
Director: Tom Clarkson
Editor: Tom Clarkson, Jan Vrhovnik
Postproduction Company: Tomboy Films / Saatchi Digital
Audio Postproduction Company: Tomboy Films / Saatchi Digital
—Print Credits
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi London
Global Creative Chief Officer: Kate Stanners
Executive Creative Directors: Rob Potts, Andy Jex
Global Creative Director: Clinton Manson
Creative Directors: Celeste Dalairac, Marion Cohen
Copywriters: Mark Slack, Jack Davies
Art Directors: Tom Young, Miguel Sousa
Planner: Paula Vampre
Account Handler: Toby Clarke
Producers: Jonathan Saunders, Richard Blaxill
Production Company: N/A
Photographer: Oleg Tolstoy
Retoucher: Nick Swaffield (Prodigious)
