"Natural Hair"

6 December 2023

60s

Hair today, hair tomorrow.

Meena Ayittey directs this well-researched commercial for Afrocenchix. After years of cursory nods to Black hair in the health and beauty sector, you get the sense that Ayittey and the brand want to make up for lost time with a sixty-second ode to afros, cornrows, dreadlocks, braids, and more.

The result is a thoughtful and effective montage that flits between archive footage, contemporary profiles, and product shots. Plenty of care has gone into the imagery chosen, as well as the words beautifully spoken by Anayah Georgeva ("It's not just hair— it's a canvas of self-expression").

When you consider that hair-based discrimination is still a thing in this day and age, commercials like this become a vital part of the fightback. Kudos to hair stylist Sedi Kukwikila, as the brand needed a safe pair of hands more than ever!

UK

Hair Styling (Non-Electrical)