Dove is committed to broadening the definition of beautiful hair. After successfully igniting viral conversations in years past, Dove looked to further its mission by identifying a range of real stories in the media of hair discrimination and bullying. Along with stories of peer bullying, the campaign highlighted the experiences of Faith Fennidy and Tyrelle Davis, two sixth-grade girls who were kicked out of school for wearing hair extensions. Their stories garnered national media attention late last year that sparked a dialogue on the unfair scrutiny and significant injustices Black women and girls face for hair texture and styles inherent to Black identity.

In its research, Dove discovered that 71% of girls look to music as an influential factor in their lives, inspiring the brand to reach girls through this medium. Dove partnered with Kelly Rowland to create a power anthem that would ignite conversation, help break down the narrow definition of beautiful hair and encourage girls to feel confident in wearing their hair how they choose. The important topic was brought to life through “Crown” – a new hit single inspired by the stories of real girls and linked with Kelly’s own personal hair experiences. For a brand that is at its core about real stories by real women, Kelly was the perfect partner to embrace and deliver the brand’s message. The resounding call: “Wear it proud!”

The song was released as a single through all major digital streaming platforms and featured in a music video directed by Hannah Lux Davis.

Kelly Rowland and Dove released “Crown” across all major digital streaming platforms and debuted the music video on a national stage during the most talked about music event: the 2019 Grammy Awards. Viewers tuning into "E! Live From The Red Carpet" were able to hear a special message from Kelly Rowland inviting them to listen to the song and inspire a dialogue.

Led by rich 1:1 interviews with Kelly who shared her personal hair story and her on-set experience with the young girls in the film in target national music, women’s, entertainment and teen media,PR communicated the meaningful purpose behind the song and drove visibility for the real stories that inspired it. Ultimately, the brand needed to tell the story to two generations – encouraging women to help change the narrative around the definition of beautiful hair and encouraging girls to be confident in wearing their hair however they choose.

As a platinum-selling artist, we wanted Kelly and her team to fully create the track and lyrics. We gave Kelly the photos & personal stories of girls like Tyrelle and Faith, two Black sixth graders who were removed from school for having hair extensions and asked her to create an anthem that would celebrate these girls’ stories and empower others.

In creating the song, Kelly was immediately reminded of words that her mother had passed onto her as a young girl: “Baby, your hair is your crowning glory!” And with that, “Crown” was born.

The song and music video were released across all major digital streaming platforms and debuted during the most talked about music event: the 2019 Grammy Awards. News of the song & partnership appeared in 300+ earned articles in outlets like Billboard, Allure, Teen Vogue, Seventeen and MarieClaire.

Throughout the coverage, “Crown” was able to underscore the brand’s message in major publications and networks like People Magazine, Billboard, MTV and ShondaLand to name a few.

The song went viral on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and Tidal. It’s been shared organically by other Grammy-award winning artists like Sam Smith, and Tina Knowles, Jessica Alba, LaLa Anthony and others have shared their love for “Crown” on their networks.

While US is the top streaming territory, the song has since travelled organically with 1M global audio streams and radio plays across 13 other countries.

But the biggest achievement goes beyond likes or shares. Dove is proud to be co-founder of the Crown Coalition, sponsoring the CROWN Act, driving actionable change by supporting anti-hair discrimination legislation in the US. On April 22nd, The CROWN Act passed the California State Senate and will move onto the California Assembly for a vote in June.