Superstar athletes Venus Williams, Aly Raisman and Megan Blunk partnered with Schwarzkopf Professional for the “Up Your Hair Game” campaign where each athlete underwent hair color transformations. Colorists Brendnetta Ashley, Carly Zanoni and Devyn Pennell worked closely with each athlete to create their new color, taking into account their legacy and hair stories.
The "Up Your Hair Game" campaign celebrates diversity and inclusive hair stories with the goal of empowering everyone to embrace their unique beauty, recognizing the power of hair and its profound expression of individuality. The campaign will run from July to October 2024, featuring a 90-day influencer campaign, in-store promotions and impactful trade materials. Professional athletes and influencers will share their hair journeys, provide tips and tutorials and showcase before-and-after transformations.
The Up Your Hair Game campaign is linked to the Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA Vibrance Relaunch, hitting shelves in August 2024. The revamped products come with several improvements which focus on catering to more clients and services, upgraded formulations and improved sustainability:
- MORE service opportunities for various hair types
- MORE natural & pastel shades completing the previous portfolio
- MORE care for all 9.5 toners with Integrated Bonding Technology (vs. previous portfolio)
- MORE sustainable packaging made with 50% recycled plastic & 83% recycled paper (vs. previous packaging)
Read on to get the formulas for these superstar athletes hair color transformations, including what inspired each of their new looks.
Venus William's Blonde Bombshell
Venus Williams is known on and off the court for her experimentation with color and style, but colorist Brendnetta Ashley (@edgybgirl) was still able to take her hair to a place that she had never expected.
"When creating Venus's Blonde Bombshell, I wanted a rich tone that would really reflect shine," says Ashley. "This honey blonde not only reflects vibrancy but truly shows a daringly elegant side of Venus!"
"I've always loved being creative and experimenting with different hair colors and styles," Williams adds. "It wasn't until today using IGORA VIBRANCE that I discovered new possibilities and can actually push my boundaries even further. Now, I'm so excited to explore all kinds of styles and I can't wait to see what's next."
Root Smudge:
- IGORA VIBRANCE® 5-5
- IGORA VIBRANCE Activator Lotion 6 Vol (1:1)
Mid-Lengths & Ends: Alternate the formulas in ¼”-½” slices
- IGORA VIBRANCE 7-55 + 7-57 (1:1)
- IGORA VIBRANCE Activator Lotion 6 Vol (1:1)
- IGORA VIBRANCE 9-55 + 0-55 (6:1)
- IGORA VIBRANCE Activator Lotion 6 VOL. (1:1)
Styled with OSiS+ Elastic Hairspray
Aly Raisman's Sun-kissed Brunette
Aly Raisman's relationship with her hair began at the age of two when she started gymnastics. "The Aly Bun" became famous during her years of competing. Now that she has retired, she is starting to discover what makes her feel confident outside of wearing it in a bun. It is great to see how her hair story has evolved over the years.
"I was looking for a color that looked natural and sun kissed – like I had just come back from a vacation. I couldn't be happier with the result," Raisman shares. "My hair is full of shine, feels great and the color really makes my curls pop, while being low maintenance enough for my busy lifestyle."
Taking into account Aly's hair goals, colorist Carly Zanoni (@the.blonde.chronicles) made sure to keep her hair color natural while enhancing her already dimensional brunette hair, saying "For Aly, I chose a mixture of neutral and warmer tones that were just a few levels lighter than her natural color. Not only did Schwarzkopf IGORA VIBRANCE create the perfect sun kissed color, it also gave Aly's hair incredible shine!"
Highlights:
- BLONDME Precision Lightener
- BLONDME Developer 7 Vol (1:2)
Root Smudge:
- IGORA VIBRANCE 6-0 + 5-0 + 5-1 (2:1:1)
- IGORA VIBRANCE Activator Lotion 6 Vol (1:1)
Mid-lengths & Ends:
- IGORA VIBRANCE 8-0 + 7-0 + 7-65 (2:1:1)
- IGORA VIBRANCE Activator Gel 6 Vol (1:1)
Styled with OSiS+ Bounty Balm Rich Curl Cream and OSiS + Dust It Mattifying Volume Powder
Megan Blunk's Old Money Blonde
Megan Blunk's story is truly inspiring and shows us that one's relationship with their hair goes far beyond just choosing a personal look.
"I was nervous to go blonde. I was proud of my long hair and was worried that bleaching it would cause me to have to cut a lot off, but that didn't happen and my hair still felt soft and smooth after," Blunk says. "I was blonde before my accident and going back to it has shown me a side of myself that I hadn't seen for a long time. It reminded me about my femininity, feeling confident, having fun and taking risks. It's not just a color change, it's a whole new way of feeling."
"As stylists, it's not just about doing pretty hair — It's about instilling confidence into our clients and to help them overcome life's challenges," colorist Devyn Pennell (@braggnbeauty) explains. "Hair actually holds the most energy on your body. The moment you go through something that changes your energy, the first thing you want to do is cut off your hair because that's the first thing you have control over. You want to change the energy as fast as you possibly can. Megan was ready for her next chapter and to change the energy of what she had gone through."
Lightening:
- BLONDME Clay Lightener + Lightener 9+ (1:2)
- BLONDME Developer 7 Vol + 20 Vol (1:1)
- Mix lighteners + developers (1:2)
Root Smudge:
- IGORA VIBRANCE 6-0 + 6-46 (2:1)
- IGORA VIBRANCE Activator Lotion 6 Vol + 13 Vol (1:1)
- Mix colors + activators (1:1)
Tone Mid-Lengths:
- IGORA VIBRANCE 7-0 + 8-46 (1:2)
- IGORA VIBRANCE Activator Gel 6 Vol (1:1)
Tone All Over:
- IGORA VIBRANCE 9.5-4 + 10-4 (1:1)
- IGORA VIBRANCE Activator Gel 6 Vol (1:1)
Styled with OSIS+ Grip Extreme Hold Mousse for heat protection and hold.