• by Sarah Mahoney , August 18, 2025

Black family game night is legendary, known for laughter, playful trash talk, and connection. SheaMoisture, the personal care brand owned by Unilever, is channeling that spirit into “Shea Us What You Got,” a digital trivia-style game show, tied to the brand’s new Curl Stretch Collection. The ad campaign aims to balance fun and education, with contestants answering questions on Black hair and culture, while viewers pick up styling tips.

The series is part of SheaMoisture’s larger “Yes, And” campaign -- and, more importantly, its year of rebrand. ShaNiece Pyles, the brand’s content lead and creative director, says that this is “not a pivot, but us going 10 toes down on joy.” She tells Marketing Daily how the brand is showing up authentically for Black women, at a moment when many others are playing it safe.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Marketing Daily: What was the marketing problem you wanted this campaign to solve?

ShaNiece Pyles: Internally, we’re calling this a new day at Shea. The brand has been around for a long time, and this year is our rebrand season. We wanted to take the best of what Shea has always stood for and merge it with who our customer is today.

Our objective was to “edutain” our textured hair community about the new Curl Stretch Collection. For women with Type 4 hair, achieving curlier or coily looks, whether that’s a twist-out, braid-out, or high bun, can take time and even cause damage. The Curl Stretch Collection was designed to make styling easier, and we wanted to bring joy into that experience.

Marketing Daily: And that led you to game night. Why trivia?

Pyles: Consumers are looking at content all day long, and apathy for ads is at an all-time high. Our head of marketing said, “Why don’t we do a game show?” and I thought, “That sounds like a great time.”

Then we thought about how to infuse it with the richness of a Black game night, which is usually full of jokes, sass, bonding, and joy. We wanted it to feel like a piece of home for our community. And in true Shea fashion, the grand prize wasn’t just a limitless amount of product. We’re also donating to the Malaika Collective, which supports Black entrepreneurs.

Marketing Daily: How are you measuring success, not just for these ads, but for the rebrand??

Pyles: We’re looking for lifts in all performance. That means stronger sales for the Curl Stretch Collection, social chatter about the campaign, and engagement across platforms. Influencers are part of the content itself and help amplify it. We want to see increases in brand awareness, affinity, and clickthroughs. Success means performance metrics, but also our community smiling and sharing it.

Marketing Daily: You mentioned going “10 toes down.” What does that mean in this moment, when so many brands are backing away from diversity?

Pyles: It means staying grounded in our roots. SheaMoisture has always been for the textured hair community. This is the moment for us to double down. We’re not pivoting. We’re reflecting her — in all her diversity — and showing that Shea is still her safe space.

For “Shea Us What You Got,” we were intentional in casting a variety of women with different textures, curl patterns, and backgrounds. We want Black women to feel seen, understood, and celebrated in our content.

Marketing Daily: You talk a lot about joy. Why make that your brand’s organizing principle?

Pyles: Honestly, it starts with our team. We ask: When she’s having a tough day, how can SheaMoisture be the place where she comes for inspiration, for a good vibe?

That spirit shows up everywhere — in our colors, fonts, music, comedic beats. If it doesn’t strike the right joyful tone, we don’t put it out. We also look for joy in the people we partner with. Their internal spirit has to shine through on screen.

Marketing Daily: I think we can agree that joy has an uphill fight these days — doomscrolling is real.

Pyles: That’s why it matters. For us, joy is strategy. It’s how we make sure our content feels good, feels confident, and leaves her smiling.

Marketing Daily: What color is joy?

Pyles: Joy is vibrant. It’s the bold colors we use, the saturation, the tones that lift you when you see them. You feel it instantly. If we don’t feel it in any given piece of content? We won’t put it out.

We want to encourage them to own every piece of who they are, and to reflect their creativity back to them in our content. At the end of the day, SheaMoisture is here to encourage and empower Black women to own every piece of who they are, reflecting back their creativity.