Pantene signs Priyanka Chopra for ‘Strong Is Beautiful’ campaign

Pantene is growing its “Strong Is Beautiful” campaign. The Procter & Gamble-owned hair-care brand revealed today the latest famous face in its lineup — Priyanka Chopra, the Indian actor and singer.

“‘Strong Is Beautiful’ is more than a campaign, it’s the ethos and point of view of our brand, and all of our recent Ambassador choices are women who represent this idea,” said Jodi Allen, vice president of hair care for North America at Procter & Gamble. “Priyanka is the embodiment of this spirit — she’s a strong, intelligent woman, who has built a global career for herself, and has chosen roles that exemplify fierce and powerful women.”

Chopra will join brand ambassador Selena Gomezin Pantene’s shampoo relaunch campaign dropping in late December, for which the pair have split modeling duties — Chopra will appear in the television spots and Gomez will appear in the print ads and in-store displays. No stranger to television, Chopra is perhaps best-known in the U.S. for her leading role in “Quantico,” ABC’s primetime political drama-thriller.

“What I associate more [than beauty] with the brand is the brand’s philosophy, ‘strong is beautiful,’” said Chopra, who will also appear in the “Baywatch” movie, due out in the spring of 2017. “I’ve always been someone who thinks the best thing I’ve ever worn is my confidence, and strength is confidence.”

Chopra, a native of India who got her start competing in and winning beauty pageants before graduating to become a Bollywood star, has no trouble in the confidence department. “If I do say so myself, I’m very fond of my hair,” she divulged to WWD.

The shampoo relaunch Chopra and her hair are fronting is Pantene’s big product push for the first half of 2017. Each of the brand’s shampoo varieties has been reformulated to include a proprietary blend of provitamins, antioxidants and lipids said to absorb deeper into the fiber core of the hair than the old models. The new formulations are designed to improve smoothness, softness and shine without weighing hair down. According to Procter & Gamble, the company’s scientists have been researching the new formulations, which hold 22 patents, for the past 15 years. The new products are slated to ship to mass doors in January.

The marketing language for the new shampoos is all about “fueling your hair,” which speaks to the current consumer wellness trend. Also speaking to that is the brand ambassador appointment prior to Chopra.

Earlier this month, Pantene announced that it had signed MMA fighter Ronda Rousey as a brand ambassador. Rousey does not appear in the new shampoo campaign specifically, but she does appear in general ads for Pantene’s ‘Strong Is Beautiful’ campaign across television, digital and print.

The relationship is Chopra’s first major beauty commitment in the U.S. market. Chopra is also an active philanthropist and global brand ambassador in India for Unicef, focusing on causes aiding women and children. She was recently announced as the organization’s Global Goodwill Ambassador. Chopra’s appointment, along with Rousey’s, further solidifies Pantene’s commitment to a diverse range of spokesmodels.

“We want to represent the diversity of ethnicities and hair textures among our ambassadors, which is why you will continue to see Pantene make choices that redefine our traditional beauty norms,” said Allen.