Head & Shoulders' ‘100%’ Ad Campaign Continues Competition Between Mahomes, Polamalu

Head & Shoulders airing a 30-second TV spot featuring Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu competing over who gives “100%” effort in everything they do.

Head & Shoulders’ “Take It Up to 100 Campaign” advertising reunites current National Football League star Patrick Mahomes and former all-pro Troy Polamalu for a second humorous TV spot as they joust about who gives “100%” effort in their life and in fighting dandruff.

With the start of the NFL season on 9 September, Procter & Gamble unveiled the 30-second spot for its hair care brand on 14 September. Created by advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, the commercial is running on major networks.

The ad opens with Mahomes, quarterback for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, pulling a bottle of Head & Shoulders 2-in-1 shampoo out of his locker. Nearby, Polamalu, a former Pittsburgh Steelers safety named earlier in the year to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, comments, “Good choice, Head & Shoulders gives up to 100% dandruff protection.”

 Patrick Mahomes, left, and Troy Polamalu joust about who gives “100%” effort in Latest Head & Shoulders Ad.

After Mahomes, his hair styled atop his head in thick curls, responds, “I never do anything less than 100%”, the two compete over aspects of their lives in which they give 100%.

Mahomes’ claims include, “My hair looks this incredible, even in 100% humidity” and “I answer my Mom’s phone calls 100% of the time.” Polamalu, known for his long, corkscrew locks, says, “I catch 100% of kids who fall off their bikes.”

The spot plays on a similar Head & Shoulders campaign aired in 2019 featuring the athletes competing over whether offense or defense is best approach in fighting dandruff.

Polamalu has been promoting Head & Shoulders since 2012 when he starred in the “Deep Like Me” commercial, playing classical piano and talking about the deep cleaning benefits of the brand’s latest formulas. (Also see "P&G Extends Head & Shoulders Line In Competitive Dandruff Market" - HBW Insight, 17 Sep, 2012.)

Head & Shoulders consistently is a strong brand for P&G. In its most recent quarterly results, P&G said its hair care portfolio, in addition to Head & Shoulders including Pantene and Herbal Essences, showed single-digit growth although overall sales for the beauty unit were flat at $3.12bn. (Also see "P&G’s Fourth Quarter Held Back By Grooming, Beauty, While Fabric & Home Care Cleans Up" - HBW Insight, 31 Jul, 2020.)

P&G says Head & Shoulders is the number one shampoo brand worldwide, used by 1.3bn people across 140 countries. The lineup of daily use products and formulas specific for men and women contain active ingredients selenium disulfide and piroctone olamine.