Clear warns men to sort out their scalp

Unilever’s Clear has launched a new campaign titled “Scalp before skin” in Turkey, as it looks to challenge entrenched attitudes towards hair loss prevention among young men.

Launched on World Health Day on 7 April, the campaign was developed by Ogilvy Singapore and rolled out in Istanbul. It aims to reposition scalp care not as a cosmetic concern, but as preventative grooming, encouraging men to take action earlier amid high rates of male pattern baldness in the country.

Turkey is reported to have one of the highest rates of male hair loss globally, with around 40% of men affected by male pattern baldness, according to industry data cited in the campaign.

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At its core, “Scalp before skin” seeks to shift perceptions by framing scalp care as the first step in a broader grooming routine, rather than a reactive solution once hair loss has already occurred. The campaign’s central message, “Get a scalp care routine before it turns into a skincare routine,” is designed as a cultural provocation aimed at reframing prevention as essential rather than optional.

The campaign taps into a wider behavioural insight around the growing popularity of skincare among Turkish men, using it as a cultural bridge to make scalp care more relevant and urgent.

To drive visibility, the campaign was rolled out through high-impact digital out-of-home and print activations across Istanbul, deliberately avoiding traditional dandruff-focused messaging.

Dynamic billboards were deployed across high-traffic routes including university corridors in Maslak and entertainment districts in Beşiktaş, targeting men aged 25 to 35 in social and lifestyle hubs. The campaign was also extended into print via Hafta, the Friday supplement of national newspaper Nasıl Bir Ekonomi.

Developed by Ogilvy Singapore, the campaign also involved media support from Mindshare Singapore and PHD Istanbul, bringing together cross-market teams across creative, media and production.

“The campaign boldly takes on Turkey’s transplant-first mindset by positioning Clear Scalpceuticals as the smart, preventative alternative in a market where hair loss is widely accepted as inevitable and hair transplant the standard solution,” said Mohamed ElSharkawy, global brand vice president, Clear.

ElSharkawy added that the campaign was designed to reach young Turkish men “not just physically, but culturally”, with the aim of shifting how they think about scalp health and grooming routines.

Marco Versolato, chief creative officer, WPP@Unilever, said the issue in Turkey is not awareness but apathy, noting that many consumers see hair loss as inevitable. He added that the campaign reframes scalp care by linking it to skincare routines already familiar to men, making the message more immediate and relatable.

The latest campaign also builds on Unilever’s Clear’s broader push into performance-led storytelling through its partnership with Oracle Red Bull Racing. Earlier this year, the brand activated its collaboration with the Formula 1 team at the Shanghai Grand Prix, rolling out fan experiences and immersive activations that highlighted the physical demands placed on drivers, including the strain of high-G forces and prolonged helmet use during races.

The partnership has been used to reframe “helmet hair” moments as part of a wider performance narrative, positioning scalp care as a tool for focus and optimisation under pressure.

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