# Nutrafol wants you to be an after

> A hair wellness brand ditched the before-and-after photo pair and put the messy middle on the Emmys instead.
- Title: Nutrafol wants you to be an after · Adweek | Shortify
- Summary: A hair wellness brand ditched the before-and-after photo pair and put the messy middle on the Emmys instead. In a category crowded with quick-fix claims…
- Keywords: advertising, hair care, brand marketing, unilever, emmys, Nutrafol, wants, Adweek
- Source: Adweek — https://adweek.com/brand-marketing/nutrafol-reframes-the-makeover-on-red-carpets-biggest-night
- Author: Andrea Michelson
- Published: 2026-09-14T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: advertising, hair care, brand marketing, unilever, emmys
## A red carpet detour
Nutrafol brought E! correspondent Zanna Roberts Rassi behind the scenes during the 78th Emmy Awards, aiming at hair growth journeys rather than awards night glamour.
## Be an after
The Unilever-owned brand ran its new campaign on Live with E!, plus a custom social segment on Roberts Rassi using the product. Agency nice&frank built the spots.
## Rewind past the photos
Each spot opens on the usual before-and-after pair, then a voice-over notes the person felt different long before the after. Mixed media cameras carry the unpolished part.

> There's so much of the story that's missing between those two points on the journey to finding yourself again that usually gets skipped.
## Postpartum, divorce, marathons
Three spots cover different triggers for hair trouble. CMO Deena Bahri says thinning is so personal that deciding to act on it is a meaningful moment by itself.
## Selling realistic timelines
Dropping the binary lets Nutrafol set expectations in a category full of quick fixes. Bahri says pairing aspiration with honesty about the work is how you earn trust.

> The visible result matters, but so does helping someone understand what it takes to get there.
## From shame to hope
Bahri has pushed the hair health category away from insecurity marketing. Creative director Patrick Newman calls the shift a move from results to an emotional mindset.

> It makes becoming an 'after' more achievable in the near term.
## Key takeaway

In a category crowded with quick-fix claims, showing the effort between the two photos builds more trust than the transformation itself.