National Geographic and Herbal Essences Unearth the Power of Botanicals in New Storytelling Partnership that Launches with Premiere of Branded Content Special, Secrets of the Garden

 Today, National Geographic and Herbal Essences announce a new branded content partnership, SECRETS OF THE GARDEN, which premieres tonight, January 17^th at 6/5c on National Geographic. It highlights the first global hair care partnership between Herbal Essences and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which celebrates the real botanicals used in Herbal Essences bio:renew products.

The partnership kicks off with a branded content special, SECRETS OF THE GARDEN, which chronicles the remarkable story of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Located just outside of London, Kew is the most biodiverse place in the world and one of the world’s leading authorities on plant science.  Herbal Essences has partnered with Kew, which has over 250 years of botanical expertise, to bring consumers more transparency and confidence in the ingredients that go into the Herbal Essences bio:renew products.

In the special, National Geographic turns their lens on London to explore the authority and scientific knowledge behind the Gardens and illustrate how Kew’s botanists are able to continually unlock the incredible secrets of the diverse plant kingdom. Viewers are taken on a journey through both the Gardens and laboratories where they meet the scientists who identify the unique ‘Botanical Fingerprint’ of each real botanical used in Herbal Essences bio:renew collections.

Professor Monique Simmonds, Kew Gardens’ first female Deputy Director of Science, and a true pioneer for botanical science, highlights the unique power of plants as they relate to the world of beauty, and underscores why Herbal Essences is the first global hair care brand endorsed by Kew.

“Herbal Essences places a high value on biodiversity and the wonders of the natural world, which aligns perfectly with the vision and values of National Geographic,” said Brendan Ripp, EVP Sales and Partnership at National Geographic. “We’re thrilled to offer our iconic storytelling to Herbal Essences, to bring their commitment to science into context, while generating both impact and engagement for the brand.”

In addition to the custom 30-minute special, National Geographic will produce a series of short videos that serve as explainers, a dynamic digital experience that takes visitors behind the scenes at Kew, and social posts to fully distribute the story to audiences across its vast media ecosystem.

The special will be available on demand beginning tomorrow, January 18 at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/secrets-of-the-garden/. Please visit the link to learn more about the essence of great hair and the unprecedented collaboration between Herbal Essences and the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew.

“I am excited to share a deeper look into P&G Beauty’s collaboration and partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This is an important story to tell. The ground-breaking work with Kew is not only shaping how we work with plants and botanicals to bring exciting products to our Beauty brands but also is setting new standards of natural ingredient quality for the beauty industry. National Geographic’s expertise in exploring the power of nature coupled with their unique storytelling ability brings this story to life and helps us connect with people interested in more natural products in a compelling way,” says Alex Keith, CEO P&G Beauty.

Sandra Botterell, Director of Marketing and Commercial Enterprise at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said, “We are proud to be working with such a well-respected global haircare brand as Herbal Essences, and cannot think of a better platform on which the story of the partnership can be told as National Geographic. This incredible special will bring Kew to a global audience, highlighting the beauty, size and diversity of Kew’s collections. It really shows how we use these collections along with cutting edge analytical methods to ensure the quality of the plants being gathered from different parts of the world are of the quality required by Herbal Essences.”

This partnership demonstrates National Geographic’s unique ability to simultaneously support partners’ brand development goals while shining light on everyday scientists and their endeavors.

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National Geographic Partners LLC

National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com

About Herbal Essences

Herbal Essences was born into nature with a free spirit and a joyful heart. Our bohemian roots still have the power to inspire young women today with products that merge the best of nature with science. Because there will always be women who aspire to a unique and authentic beauty that can only come from a closeness to nature and a true sense of self. Herbal is not about problems, but the freedom to immerse yourself in nature & indulge in the thrill of letting go for a little moment of joy. Herbal believes in ingredients with intent, packaging as items of beauty for her & the earth, colors found in nature, irresistibly delicious fragrances, & formulas that are as clean as possible without compromising the results women crave. And Herbal hair? Herbal hair is hair that is undone, natural looking and free – just like the women who choose it. Simply put, Herbal Essences does beautiful things for your hair & your head. To learn more about Herbal Essences visit www.herbalessences.com

About the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew believes in a world where plants and fungi are understood, respected and celebrated daily – because our lives depend on them. Kew leverages the power of science and the rich diversity of their extensive collections and gardens to provide knowledge, inspiration and understanding of why plants and fungi matter to everyone. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is home to over 30,000 different plant and seed species from around the globe. Here, scientists celebrate the world’s biodiversity and plant richness and make it accessible to everyone. Kew Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and celebrates its 260th anniversary in 2019.

About Procter & Gamble

At P&G, Diversity & Inclusion are at the heart of our Purpose, Values and Principles.  And we recognize that an inclusive culture goes well beyond race, gender or creed.   We benefit from the best thinking, ideas and innovation when people of diverse backgrounds, experiences and ways of thinking work together. A more inclusive workplace and world means we can do a better job of delighting consumers with our products and brands.

About Procter & Gamble: P&G serves nearly five billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Duracell®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®,  Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®,  Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®,  Wella® and Whisper®.  The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.