For a few days now a Gain fabric softener commercial has been catching my eye, the ad features model/actress Tomiko Fraser with Wanda Sykes doing a delightful voiceover but the star of the ad is neither Sykes nor Fraser herself, but it is Fraser’s fabulous TWA, teeny weeny afro. It is rare to see natural hair on American television and even more rare for that hair to be tightly kinked on a dark skinned woman.
Photo credit: D'André Michael
I can’t help but have mad love for both the ad agency who conceptualised this and for Tomiko Fraser who made it look so very good. Fraser has been sporting her natural hair for a while now and speaks candidly and publicly of her journey. I am really happy to see natural hair embraced in this way and I look forward to more black models with kinky hair gracing my TV screen and magazines in the future.
Here are some pics from her public Facebook page so you guys can see that she looks like a regular (gorgeous) woman and that her ‘fro looks fabulous even when not photographed by a pro.
Edit: Visit Gain’s Facebook page to tell them you love seeing kinky natural hair in a mainstream ad, maybe with enough positive feedback we can encourage more people to love the nap.
Wow!!! What a wonderful article! Thank you so much! I hope your readers will contact Gain (www.facebook.com/Gain) and let them know how they feel about seeing women with natural hair featured in their ads.
Thanks again!! Your article brought a huge smile to my face today! : )
Tomiko
You are welcome.
I try to call it like I see it and your insistence on loving your natural hair really makes me proud.
Risée
Love 🙂
Tomiko is one of the natural women I keep in my personal nappy inspiration picture folder
for real.
oh wait, did I mention that she’s 43… seriously.