Our hair has a very important announcement to make . . .
TIMELINE
12 weeks
TEAM
Individual
Advised by Kelsey Duneska
TOOLS
Figma
Adobe CC (Ai, AE, PS)
Procreate
ROLE
Concept Research
Brand Identity
Typography
Graphic Design
Motion Graphics
This public messaging campaign, A Stache is a Stache, repurposes the script of a PSA by the razor brand, Billie, called “Movember.” My reinterpretation of the script de-stigmatizes female body hair by encouraging women to start talking about it. By using kinetic typography that references gossip, breaking news, and hair I aim to craft a playful yet powerful voice that implies an authentic message passed from one woman to another.
FINAL PSA VIDEO
SUPPORTING ASSETS
NOTE PASSING KIT
A set of cards with cheeky prompts meant to get women to start talking about female body hair. These cards, along with a set of pencils, can be found in places associated with female gathering and conversation, like the bathroom. Once a message is written, the card can be folded and discreetly passed to other women.
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY
PROCESS
DISTINGUISHING TWO TYPOGRAPHIC VOICES
To reflect my two main, influences in this campaign, breaking news, and gossip, I chose to use the typefaces Savate (in italics), and Authentic Sans Condensed. I wanted a typeface that could portray, a playful, human voice; one that would delivering the main message of the PSA, and another that would act as more as the imagery of “breaking news.” Switching between these two contrasting voices allows me to steer the narrative throughout the video.
LEVERAGING THE POWER OF FEMALE CONVERSATIONS
One thing that I found really powerful about Billie’s original script was that there were many moments when the message was being delivered in first person. An important part of this PSA was not only who would receive the message, but also who was sending it. In my campaign I wanted to craft a voice that was not only distinctly female, but that implied the sense of secrecy, power and trust that comes with messages passed within female circles.
I was curious about this concept and how I could use it to inform my designs, so I began looking into Gossip. The term and negative associations we have with “gossip” have long been used to demonize female speech, especially within the private sphere. Throughout history “gossip” has been been essential in creating a powerful network of information between women, one that oftentimes threatens the patriarchy.
Through the use of a black backdrop, type being passed across the screen or popping up like whispers, and supporting assets that spark conversation between women, I poke fun at this concept in the visual system of this campaign. In order to destigmatize female body hair, I needed to destigmatize female conversations.
HAIRY TYPE
An opportunity with this kinetic type campaign about hair that I could not pass up was to take inspiration from the movement and texture of real hair. In my abstract interpretation of hair I use rough vs. smooth textures, hair removal sound effects (like razors, and waxing), and mimic the invasive growth pattern of hair that overwhelms the screen to insinuate the presence or absence of hair. My favorite part of the video is the hair parade at the end that celebrates all our different hair textures.
ADDING URGENCY TO A “NON-URGENT” MESSAGE
Unlike most PSAs this one references a topic that, at first glance, isn’t that urgent. I needed to figure out a way to get audiences to take this message seriously, without losing the playfulness and warmth that makes its delivery so compelling and innately feminine.
Inspired by the line “Our hair has a very important announcement to make,” I decided to take inspiration from breaking news graphics by utilizing type that moves horizontally across the screen or along it’s borders, screen glitches and static that mimic emergency broadcast systems, bold RGB colors, and the attention grabbing, neutral sans-serif, Authentic Sans Condensed.
The juxtaposition of this “non-urgent” message in this new context, adds to the humorous tone of the script, but demands your attention in a new way. In many ways, it asks audiences to take women have to say about their body hair as seriously as “breaking news.”
DEVELOPING COLOR
Mixing pastels with bright RGB colors to create a playful, eclectic, unapologetic, hyper feminine color palette with an edge.
VIDEO OVER TIME
