Oxfam partners with Bullfrog to launch ‘ONLY SHAMPOO’ to highlight global food inequality

On National Hair Day, Oxfam is getting Australians in a lather about the shocking state of global food inequality. While our hair has access to ingredients like pineapple extract, almond oil and milk proteins in our shampoos, millions of people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan face emergency levels of hunger and malnutrition. Meaning our hair has more access to nutrients than the millions of people who won’t eat today. Seems unacceptable? That’s because it is.

Today Oxfam has launched ONLY SHAMPOO – made to provoke change for an unacceptable food crisis and take action to create a more equal future without poverty. By targeting one of the last quiet places our minds have to ponder – the shower – ONLY SHAMPOO prompts Australians to really think about the state of global food inequality with an unignorable truth.

“It’s staggering to think that, here in Australia, many shampoos contain more nutrients than millions of people have access to every day,” commented Oxfam Australia Chief Executive Lyn Morgain.

“We want every Australian, as they wash their hair today, to think about the global inequality that has led to tens of millions of people not having enough to eat – and to start conversations with their friends and colleagues, to get people talking about the unacceptable hunger crisis that is gripping East Africa and beyond.”

Australian beauty brand People Haircare worked in partnership with Oxfam and Bullfrog to develop the product formulation for ONLY SHAMPOO.

Founder Katherine Ruiz commented; “As a brand that champions beauty and self-care, we recognise the glaring contrast between the abundance enjoyed by some and the scarcity faced by millions around the world. We believe in leveraging our platform to advocate for a more equal world, and we are honoured to play a vital role in bringing this campaign to life and shining a light on the inequality faced by so many.”

Bullfrog, in partnership with Praytell, set out to craft a compelling narrative linking everyday routines to a larger global issue.

“The campaign is designed to stir a sense of unease, to take something as familiar as shampoo and use it as a mirror to reflect on how disconnected we’ve become from the realities of inequality. ONLY SHAMPOO illustrates just how unacceptable it is that in 2024, an inequality like this still exists. It contextualises a drastic contrast in access to basic needs, and reminds people that our hair doesn’t need food. People do.” Said Dan Sparkes, Deputy ECD at Bullfrog.

To go one step further on launch day, Oxfam will take over popular subReddit r/showerthoughts to make ONLY SHAMPOO the top shower thought on National Hair Day and get hundreds of thousands of Aussie Redditor’s talking about the Hunger Crisis.

And a limited run of ONLY SHAMPOO was specifically created for influencers, activists and media personalities like Daria Varlamova, Tarang Chwala and Kirstin Tibballs, who have helped to make food inequality something that millions of Australians think about the next time they’re in the shower.

This initiative is part of Oxfam’s ‘Unaccept Inequality’ platform which continues to push for a more equitable global future.

The ONLY SHAMPOO campaign is now live across OOH, social media and digital platforms.

If your hair cares too, donate what you can here.

Client: Oxfam Australia
Creative Agency: Bullfrog
PR Agency: Praytell
Media Agency: Initiative
Shampoo Partner: People Haircare
Founder – Katherine Ruiz
Photography: Lander Productions
Producer – Adair Lander
Photographer – Adrian Lander
Retoucher – Capas.studio
Radio partnership generously provided by: Southern Cross Austereo
Sound studio: Gusto Studios
Producer – Brigid Giles-Webb
Engineer – Colin Simkins
Website Development: Bone.Digital
MD & Co-Founder – Simon Hipgrave
CTO – James Burke
Digital Producer – Danielle Procter
Print Partner: Dr Print
Founder – Dave Ryan
3D Development: Lumberfly
Creative Director – Henry Beeman
Creative Director – Josh Thomas