The “Decolonizing Beauty” Campaign by Zikora Productions (with Orbellia’s Perspective)

The Decolonizing Beauty campaign launched by Zikora Productions challenges the dominance of Western beauty standards, celebrating Africa’s diverse aesthetics. It seeks to highlight traditional beauty customs across the continent, drawing attention to the cultural richness that is often overlooked in the global beauty industry.

Zikora Productions, founded in Abuja in 2023, embodies the ethos of showcasing African stories to the world. “Zikora,” meaning “show the world” in Igbo, captures the company’s mission to promote African heritage unapologetically through media, performance arts, and creative storytelling.

For Orbellia, a communication agency that specializes in the beauty industry, this campaign resonates deeply. In the African beauty landscape, the battle for representation and identity is crucial, and we at Orbellia believe that decolonizing beauty is a major issue for Africa’s beauty industry. The industry has long grappled with Western beauty standards, often erasing the authenticity of African aesthetics.

Objectives

• Reclaim African Beauty: The campaign aims to restore pride in African beauty traditions, creating an inclusive space where African women and men can see themselves represented.
• Educational Initiative: Zikora seeks to educate the global public about the diversity of African beauty, using a variety of multimedia forms to highlight historical beauty practices;

Campaign Elements

1. Crowns of Coils
   This social media challenge celebrates African hair by inviting content creators to showcase traditional and modern hairstyles. At Orbellia, we see this as a direct confrontation to Eurocentric norms that often push Africans to chemically alter their hair to fit global standards.
2. Roots on Reels
   The smartphone short film contest is another way the campaign elevates African perspectives, encouraging African filmmakers to express beauty as they see it. This initiative aligns with Orbellia’s mission of empowering African voices in storytelling through media, especially in cosmetics and beauty.
3. African Beauty in Focus
   For photojournalists, this project aims to capture the beauty of traditional practices across Africa. This initiative is particularly significant for Orbellia, as our agency’s vision is to bridge Africa and Europe, showing the authenticity and allure of African beauty.
4. Hairitage in Motion
   This live hair show celebrating the diversity of African hairstyles reinforces a central theme of pride in identity. Orbellia, as an agency deeply invested in Africa’s cultural industries, sees this event as an essential platform for affirming the continent’s artistic and cultural expressions.

Strategy

The multi-platform approach adopted by Zikora ensures the campaign reaches a broad audience across the continent and the diaspora, engaging both English and French speakers. For Orbellia, this is a critical aspect of a successful campaign, as beauty standards affect not only local markets but also international perceptions of Africa.

Orbellia’s Perspective

At Orbellia, we believe that the Decolonizing Beauty campaign speaks directly to the future of Africa’s beauty industry. For years, the African market has been inundated with products and ideals that do not reflect the continent’s diverse cultures. The widespread use of skin-lightening products, for instance, reflects a deeper issue of identity rejection. Through Zikora’s campaign, we see a powerful opportunity to
redefine beauty in a way that is authentic, empowering, and sustainable.

Orbellia has long championed the “La Belle Afrique” narrative, which centers on Africa’s inherent beauty, not only in terms of aesthetics but also in the richness of its cultural practices. Decolonizing Beauty aligns perfectly with this vision, offering a way to shift beauty standards that have long been detrimental to African women’s self-image.

Impact

• Industry Shift: By spotlighting African creators and beauty practices, the campaign has the potential to shift the beauty industry toward a more inclusive and representative space.
• Empowerment: The campaign empowers local African content creators, offering them platforms to showcase their talent and culture.
• Global Awareness: For Orbellia, this campaign presents a moment to educate the global beauty industry on the untapped potential and unique beauty traditions of Africa.

Conclusion

The Decolonizing Beauty campaign is not just a celebration of African aesthetics but a pivotal movement that could reshape the beauty industry on a global scale. For Orbellia, this campaign represents everything we stand for — the promotion of African beauty, culture, and empowerment. Through this partnership, we hope to amplify the voices of African creators and build a more inclusive future for Africa’s beauty industry.

Sources:

•  Zikora Media ​( ZIKORA )
• Africa.com​ ( Africa.com – Stay Smart About Africa )
• HapaKenya​