Procter & Gamble's My Black is Beautiful Heads in New Direction: Partners With BET Networks to Create National Television Program to Focus on African-American Beauty
Results of National Survey Highlight Improved African-American Women's Perceptions of Black Beauty and Self-Identity As New President Takes Office
Cincinnati, OH (January 21, 2009) — Procter & Gamble (P&G) today announced its partnership with BET Networks to create a television series in support of P&G's My Black is Beautiful campaign. The inaugural episode of the new TV series will feature a segment that salutes First Lady Michelle Obama. P&G will also pay tribute to this historic occasion as a sponsor of the BET Networks Inaugural Ball.
The My Black is Beautiful campaign has evolved into a nationwide movement with the launch of the national television series on BET Networks. The My Black is Beautiful campaign is designed to ignite and support a sustained national conversation by, for and about black women and the way they are reflected in popular culture. It also serves as a catalyst for African-American women to adopt a new mindset in how they view themselves.
A recent P&G consumer survey reveals that 90 percent of African-American women feel that Michelle Obama's role as First Lady will have a positive impact on perceptions of African-American beauty. Results from respondents also indicate that 86 percent of African-American women feel that young black girls will be inspired to embrace their own sense of self-identity as a result of Malia and Sasha's role as First Family. Results from a 2007 P&G My Black is Beautiful survey found that 77 percent of African-American women are "concerned" about the way they are portrayed in popular media. The vast majority, 71 percent, say that they are portrayed "worse" than other racial groups in the media. Sixty-nine percent of respondents said that teens are negatively influenced by those images.
In addition to sponsoring the Michelle Obama My Black is Beautiful episode, P&G will also partner with BET Networks and sponsor a news segment spotlighting Michelle Obama and the BET Networks Inaugural Ball on Tuesday, January 20, which will be held in partnership with America's Promise Alliance, the nation's largest nonprofit alliance dedicated to the well-being of children and youth founded by General Colin L. Powell (Ret), and his wife, Alma.
"P&G is very excited about our role as an official supporter of the BET 2009 Inauguration activities. Through our My Black is Beautiful program we hope to spark a national dialogue among African-American women that speaks to this historic moment and its effect on African-American beauty perceptions both here in America and around the world," said Kisha Mitchell Williams, P&G Multicultural Brand Manager. "As the country now collectively reflects on the significance of having Michelle Obama as our first African-American First Lady, what better way to spark that conversation than to air such a poignant video in celebration of the wife of our historic 44th President, Barack Obama, the first African-American to hold the Office."
The My Black is Beautiful campaign, created by a group of African-American women at P&G in 2006, aims to ignite and support a sustained national conversation by, for and about black women. The integrated, multi-brand initiative is supported by Crest® Pro-Health™, Pantene Pro-V® Relaxed & Natural, CoverGirl® Queen Collection, Olay® Definity, Always® and Tampax® and Beautiful Collection®.
For more information about the My Black is Beautiful campaign, visit www.myblackisbeautiful.com.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 98 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture and news; BET Digital Networks — BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
About America's Promise Alliance
For more information about America's Promise Alliance, visit: www.americaspromise.org.
