We know Pantene has a thing for strong athletes. (Remember when the brand teamed up with NFL players for a hair tutorial right before the Super Bowl?) So, when we got wind that it was tapping one of the biggest names in sports for the latest Strong Is Beautiful campaign, we weren't one bit surprised — but we were pretty damn excited. Why? Because the new face is none other than acclaimed UFC fighter Ronda Rousey.
It makes sense, given that Rousey is an all-around badass who defines strength to a T. For the better portion of last year, she was the undefeated champion in her weight group. (She did lose her title in the end, but came out on top with an amazing campaign with Reebok.) She's taken plenty of heat for her tough demeanor, but on a personal level, she's always been humble: Rousey has openly talked about her struggle with self-confidence and how there's no such thing as "perfect." And yeah, she has really, really good hair.
We're just glad to see a major brand like Pantene bring in someone who's not afraid to break the traditional beauty mold. Rousey is — like all of us — imperfect, and she's damn proud of it. The message of the campaign is, "Don't Hate Me Because I'm Strong," which seems very fitting for the fighter. Because haters are gonna hate. But when you do you, you win every time.
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