The archive · Advertising · Marketing decision · 2023–2024
Pantene's 'Braids of Pride' puts Oaxaca's Muxes and their hair stories at the centre
For Pride 2023, Pantene built its campaign around the Muxes' own braids, ribbons and flowers, with the words co-written by the community.
Pantene (Procter & Gamble)
What it had to solve
Muxes, an indigenous community from Oaxaca, have challenged gender binarism for centuries, yet they are heavily discriminated against in a homophobic country like Mexico. For Pride 2023, Pantene wanted to celebrate them — and discovered that Muxes' hair can tell many stories.
How it works
Muxes, an indigenous community from Oaxaca, have challenged gender binarism for centuries, yet they are heavily discriminated against in a homophobic country like Mexico. For Pride 2023, Pantene wanted to celebrate them rather than represent them from the outside.
The insight was that Muxes' hair can tell many stories: every ribbon, flower and braid carries powerful meanings. 'Braids of Pride' was built on that tradition, with the campaign's words written in collaboration with the Muxes and wardrobe pieces that accurately represented their customs.
The result was a campaign in which the community's own culture carried the message — described as the largest of its kind and a significant milestone for both the brand and Muxe history. The work is held in the D&AD awards archive under Casting.
Why it lands
- The campaign's raw material was real cultural meaning — braids, ribbons and flowers that already tell Muxe stories — rather than an imported concept.
- The words were written with the Muxes themselves, so the community authored the representation instead of being depicted by outsiders.
- It used a national Pride moment to bring an indigenous identity into mainstream visibility in a country where that community is discriminated against.
- Wardrobe and details followed Muxe traditions, making the celebration specific and respectful rather than generic.
What it did
Billed as the largest campaign of its kind, it marked a significant milestone for both Pantene and Muxe history by putting an indigenous, discriminated community at the centre of a national Pride moment. The work is held in the D&AD awards archive under Casting.
What you can take
To honour a community, start from the meaning already encoded in its culture — braids, ribbons, flowers — and let that community co-author the campaign.
Since then
The 2023 Pride campaign entered the D&AD awards archive under Casting, preserving the collaboration between Pantene and the Muxe community as a reference for community-led, co-created Pride work. The case page credits it as a milestone for both the brand and Muxe history.
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