In Thai schools, the practice of punishing students with forced haircuts is an issue that has persisted decades. With Dove’s mission to make beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety, we set out with the ambition to end these confidence-cutting forced haircuts for good with a sustained initiative that would not only raise awareness of the persisting issue, but also take action to educate, inform and positively impact the future of our next generation.

Amidst a population that’s divided on the issue, we needed to explore and evaluate how we would tackle this challenge of shifting perceptions and behaviors in a way that would spark constructive dialogue and debate.

We developed #LetHerGrow – a rallying call inviting everyone to stand together in ending these confidence-cutting forced haircuts for good and creating a future where students can grow into the greatest version of themselves.

#LetHerGrow was designed as a rallying call inviting everyone to stand together in ending these confidence-cutting forced haircuts for good and creating a future where students can grow into the greatest version of themselves.

The idea designed to capture attention and spark debate. We injected ourselves into culture through a multi-channel, guerrilla-style approach that would make us unmissable – taking over the front pages of Thailand’s two leading dailies and stopping passers-by with eye-catching OOH to ignite conversation and assert our point of view. We also introduced a distinct QR-symbol (in the shape of the unmistakable bob haircut) that would connect people from offline and online worlds to pledge support, share their experiences and learn more about the actions the Dove is taking to advocate for change. All supported by an integrated earned storytelling program that harnessed a diverse range of influential voices and perspectives.

We fielded research to uncover perspectives from Thai parents, students and teachers, also hosting stakeholder conversations. This revealed that the negative impact to student confidence was an unintended consequence of forced haircuts that struck an emotional chord on both sides of the debate. In fact, we found the impact of cutting someone’s hair against their will can last long after hair grows back.

Insight: Forced haircuts are cutting the confidence of school children. No matter which side of the issue people stand, they agree that we should be fostering the development of our next generation to grow into confident young adults. How could we leverage this to galvanize widespread support?

Strategy: Bring awareness to the unintended consequences on self-confidence and rally invested audiences – parents, allies, girls, educators, schools and policymakers – to remove the toxic practice of forced haircuts in Thai Schools. Calling for people to stand in solidarity.

The initiative used the power of human insight, rich storytelling, creative content, strategic media buys, earned media, influencer partnerships and stakeholder engagement. The campaign launched at the new semester when the topic was relatable and relevant to the public.

We released research findings along with expert perspectives from our child psychologist, Dr. Jiraporn Arunakul, to underscore the negative impact to student confidence, need for change and call for solidarity in creating a future where students can grow into the greatest version of themselves.

An emotional film brought the stories and perspectives of different generations to life, underscoring that a forced haircut takes away more than just hair by impacting the confidence of students. We hosted a highly-publicized press conference that brought together influential voices. We partnered with a range of influencers representing diverse audiences, as well as thought leaders in Thailand to share perspectives on the issue.

Launched in May 2022, the results already demonstrate substantial impact for building awareness of the issue and Dove’s work to impact change, while also garnering public and institutional support:

• Generated more than 200 pieces of earned coverage since launch with a reach of more than 195 million.

• The brand film garnered more than 26 million views across platforms.

• Drove positive public word of mouth and with influential KOLs such as Srettha Thavisin, CEO of Sansiri, who generated 55,000+ retweets, 15,000+ likes and nearly 400 comments.

• Engaged more than 50 media, influencers and stakeholders at the press event, which was covered by broadcast, print, online and social outlets with earned reach of more than 66 million.

• Influencers sparked discussion amongst their 7.35 million followers, including more than 118,200