P&G Marks Black History Month with Crowns of Heritage Campaign

In honor of Black History Month, P&G’s Royal Oils by Head & Shoulders and Gold Series from Pantene enlisted the help of AfricanAncestry.com to trace the DNA of the team behind the brands and launch a journey of discovery that is #RootedInScience. The campaign—Crowns of Heritage—encourages people to reflect on the missing pieces of their family history and receive an opportunity to reconnect with the African roots of their family tree. 



The Crowns of Heritage Sweepstakes will give away 50 AfricanAncestry.com DNA test kits, giving winning individuals the ability to broaden their sense of identity and celebrate a fuller picture of their history.
 
From the inception of both brands, science and heritage have played a key role in filling a void in the marketplace for Black consumers with products designed to meet and support their haircare needs, said P&G. As part of the Crowns of Heritage campaign, more than a dozen P&G multicultural haircare brand build builders, ambassadors, executives, and scientists took the AfricanAncestry.com DNA test and participated in a group reveal. Led by Dr. Gina Paige, AfricanAncestry.com co-founder, the team celebrated new connections and missing links in their family stories. The reveal also provided relevant historical context on the results and shared connections with other prominent Black innovators and leaders, reinforcing a legacy of strength and resilience, with hope for a more informed future.
 
“This last year reinforced how important connection is to grow and thrive. Technology has been integral to staying connected to family and deepen those relationships,” said Nadirah Mutala of P&G Beauty Communications. “The Crowns of Heritage campaign allowed all of us to expand our family group to include ethnic groups from West and Central Africa. Now, we can fully embrace and explore a more complete picture of ourselves. The power of this knowledge is a gift that we can share with our families to empower us for generations. We want to give this gift to more people.”
 
From DNA testing to hair microscopy, P&G has committed to decades of cutting-edge innovation and technology, plus ongoing research of textured hair in partnership with Black scientists, dermatologists and stylists to create Royal Oils and Gold Series haircare products. Beyond the technology, the talented and dedicated team of Black experts who worked on these products combined personal passion with rich scientific knowledge to ensure that the range of products are effectively formulated for every stage of the curly, coily hair journey – natural, relaxed, blow outs, protective styles, and so much more.
 
“Our team of Black scientists has made understanding our hair their mission, using specialized testing protocols on hair samples from people of African descent to ensure optimal performance and best-in-class product benefits,” said Dr. Rolanda Wilkerson, principal scientist of P&G Beauty. “Royal Oils and Gold Series are #RootedInScience, and that underpins all we do to ensure we deliver products that truly serve Black consumers. We turned to science in this campaign and our formulas to deepen the connection with the larger community, for a deeper understanding of our heritage and products designed for them.”
 
According to P&G, the power of science and passion underpins the partnership with AfricanAncestry.com, which owns the largest database of proprietary African lineages for the Crowns of Heritage
campaign. AfricanAncestry.com has demystified the African roots of more than a million people across the diaspora, underscoring the deep desire and need for people to better understand who they are in today’s America and across the world.
 

“We are thrilled about our partnership with Royal Oils and Gold Series, and their commitment to science and innovation that empowers them to better understand themselves and their consumers,” said Dr. Gina Paige. “Our hair identity is a cornerstone of the Black beauty experience, and we hope this alignment deepens and enhances how we view ourselves and Africa in a very powerful, transformative way.”