Disney Advertising And OWN Networks Collaborate In First-Ever Joint Sponsorship Venture For New Series, "The Hair Tales"

Dove Signs On as an Official Sponsor to Celebrate the Beauty, Culture and Humanity of Black Women

NEW YORK, OCTOBER 26, 2022 -- For the first time, Disney and OWN Networks are collaborating to support their new, upcoming docuseries, "The Hair Tales," launching on both Hulu and OWN beginning Oct. 22, 2022.  "The Hair Tales" is executive produced by Tracee Ellis Ross, Michaela angela Davis and Oprah Winfrey, and is a series that will offer an honest and layered look into the complex culture of Black hair and Black women's identity. Disney's Onyx Collective, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and Hulu have an unprecedented partnership to simultaneously premiere new episodes of "The Hair Tales" on Saturdays. 

Dove has signed on as the first official sponsor of this series given the brand's leadership in championing the CROWN Act (CROWN stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair). Dove co-founded the CROWN Coalition to advance the CROWN Act legislation, created to outlaw discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture in schools and the workplace. Dove will have a unique presence throughout the docuseries during commercials and custom vignettes that celebrate the beauty of Black women and natural hairstyles. 

"Black women and girls have been subject to unfair scrutiny, and even discrimination, because of our natural hair texture and styles," stated Esi Eggleston Bracey, President, Unilever US and CEO Personal Care, Unilever North America. "Dove believes that our natural beauty should be embraced and celebrated, and we are thrilled to forge this incredible partnership with OWN and Hulu to shine a national spotlight on stories that need to be told."

"At Disney we prioritize innovation, creativity and more representative storytelling and we are thrilled to partner with OWN Networks, an industry leader that believes in this mission just as much as we do, to push our efforts forward with The Hair Tales," said Rita Ferro, President, Disney Advertising. "This series is a beautiful embodiment of our commitment to inclusivity - from on-screen talent to the content we produce to the ad creative and campaigns - and our ability to connect brands with opportunities to elevate their messaging."

"At OWN, we create intentional opportunities for our clients that best serve their brands' needs while honoring our primarily Black female audience who come to us for inspiration and authenticity," said Sheereen Russell, SVP, Ad Sales and Inclusive Content Solutions at OWN. "Dove championing the Crown Act is an excellent example of this; It serves as an endemic sponsorship for The Hair Tales, celebrating the liberation and joy of Black women embracing their hair texture and style. We're proud to elevate partners who share our mission to not only entertain, but also create a meaningful impact on our audiences."

Additionally, Disney Advertising secured Nutrafol, a subsidiary of Unilever, and Toyota as national sponsors of The Hair Tales on Hulu, along with Google, United Artists Releasing's Till film and Walt Disney Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, as midroll sponsors on the platform.

About The Hair Tales

Executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela angela Davis, The Hair Tales leads the audience through a revelatory journey connecting the personal tales of phenomenal; Black women to broader societal and historic themes. The stories shared in the series offer an honest and layered look into the complex culture of Black hair and, ultimately, Black women's identity, beauty, culture and social contributions and humanity. 

Guests featured include the inimitable Oprah Winfrey, Emmy nominated Issa Rae, GRAMMY nominees Chloe Bailey and Chika, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and "black-ish" star Marsai Martin, alongside brilliant scholars, industry and cultural leaders, hair professionals and influential contributors including Esi Eggleston Bracey, Dr. Noliwe Rooks, Mickalene Thomas and Meshell Ndegeocello, to name a few.

"The Hair Tales" is produced by culture House, Joy Mill Entertainment, Tetravision and Harpo Films. Raeshem Nijhon, Carri Twigg and Kisha Imani Cameron also serve as executive producers. 

About The CROWN Coalition  

The CROWN Coalition is the official national creator of the CROWN Act movement; an alliance founded by Dove, National Urban League, Western Center on Law & Poverty and Color Of Change, along with 100+ CROWN Act supporting organizations. The CROWN Act movement is led by a team of Black women: Esi Eggleston Bracey (CEO of Unilever North America Personal Care), JOY Collective Agency leaders Kelli Richardson Lawson and Orlena Nwokah Blanchard (CEO and President), and Adjoa B. Asamoah (ABA Consulting CEO and chief legislative strategist), working with a consortium of Black leaders within the community who are committed to advancing legislation to end natural hair discrimination once and for all.  

On March 18, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act, which protects against prejudice based on hair texture and protective styles, including locs, cornrows, twists, braids, and Bantu knots.  The bill now heads to the Senate, where Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey sponsored the chamber's version of the bill.  These natural hair styles would be protected under Titles VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, and other Federal civil rights laws.  As a proud co-founder and champion of the CROWN Coalition, Dove is committed to progressing The CROWN Act until hair discrimination is abolished in all 50 states and at the federal level. 

The CROWN Act and laws inspired by the CROWN Act have been enacted in 19 states: California (2019), New York (2019), New Jersey (2019), Virginia (2020), Colorado (2020), Washington (2020), Maryland (2020), Connecticut (2021), Delaware (2021), New Mexico* (2021), Nebraska* (2021), Nevada (2021), Oregon* (2021), Illinois* (2021), Maine (2022), Tennessee* (2022), Louisiana* (2022), Massachusetts (2022), and Alaska (2022).  *Legislation inspired by the CROWN ACT  

For more information, please visit www.dove.com .