Oluwamodupe “Dupe” Oloyede’s talent and notoriety has opened yet another door of opportunity for her – an endorsement deal that she secured even before crossing the stage on May 2 to become a Florida A&M University alumna.
The recent FAMU graduate, who served as the Marching 100’s first female head drum major in the band’s history this past year, has an endorsement deal with the shampoo brand Head & Shoulders, where she released a 37-second promo video advertising the company’s Bare Itchy Scalp Relief Serum.
“Everything is really happening in such an alignment of time that when they even asked me to incorporate my hair and put my own flare on it, it was surprising,” Oloyede told the Tallahassee Democrat during a May 7 phone call. ““It took me by surprise because I wasn’t expecting Head & Shoulders to call.”
The opportunity was presented to Oloyede by FAMU alumnus Omar Goff – end-to-end commercial leader for the shampoo brand Head & Shoulders, North America – who served as one of the university’s spring commencement speakers and announced the brand deal during his speech on May 2 at the Lawson Center on campus.
“When I saw this first, I knew she was a great embodiment of what I’m all about,” Goff said, referring to Oloyede. He added that her brand deal is the “first of many.”
How the recent FAMU graduate’s endorsement deal came about
An Atlanta, Georgia native, Oloyede led the FAMU band musically while serving as the head of show planning and dance routine through her role as head drum major this past year. This is the highest ranking-student leader position in a marching band.
But despite making history through the role – which was followed by a string of notable accomplishments – Oloyede says several opportunities started rolling in after she became a member of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority on FAMU’s campus this spring. A video of her dynamic introduction as a new addition to the Greek organization in the university’s Jake Gaither Gym quickly went viral and garnered millions of views on social media.
FAMU’s Office of Communications helped Oloyede navigate the offers she received, and one of them came from Head & Shoulders a few weeks ago. The company’s team explained to Oloyede that they wanted to promote their new scalp serum, and how they wanted her to incorporate the fact that she wears protective hairstyles, such as box braids. With only two and a half weeks to bring the vision to life in time to release the final product during graduation season, Oloyede said the process was a challenging one − but she got the job done.
“We knew that we were on a time crunch for graduation, so I shared my concept, they loved it, we produced the idea and it came into fruition,” Oloyede said. “They reached out, and I was able to answer.”
In the promo video − which appears on social media platforms only − Oloyede is seen ending a marching band rehearsal on campus with her drum major’s baton in hand as she turns away, itching her scalp. The production then transitions to Oloyede in a baby blue bathroom robe, applying the serum to her scalp during her morning routine and applying it throughout the day. The video, which was posted May 4 garnered nearly 70,000 views on Instagram in three days.
While the university does not keep track of Marching 100 members who get brand deals, Oloyede’s endorsement deal is the first official one that FAMU Band Director Shelby Chipman is aware of. He’s been leading the band for the past decade.
“I am incredibly proud of Dupe,” Chipman said in a statement sent to the Democrat. “Seeing her secure a brand deal with Head & Shoulders is bigger than one moment. It shows our students that the talent and excellence cultivated at FAMU can create opportunities far beyond the field and open new doors for the next generation of Rattlers.”
‘It will make room for more things’
The opportunity was a full-circle moment for Oloyede since Head & Shoulders is a brand that she’s familiar with. While she uses its products on herself, as someone who does hair on the side, she also uses them for her clients.
Prior to the endorsement deal, accomplishments of Oloyede – who majored in theater performance – included recently being part of the opening performance for the song “I Lied to You” from the movie “Sinners” in the 2026 Oscars.
The FAMU alumna also recently led the Marching 100 in a performance of “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” to kick off a promo campaign for Lionsgate’s film “Michael,” which is a biopic of pop icon Michael Jackson. In addition, she was part of the band’s recent performance of “Victory” composed by FAMU alumnus and rapper Common as the theme song for Amazon’s Prime Video’s NBA on Prime.
Oloyede says she has some opportunities lined up related to entertainment and creative directing that she’s currently navigating post-graduation. Although she described herself as an “independent talent” since she’s a graduate, she says she’s still thankful for the opportunity of representing FAMU’s Marching 100 through her recent success.
“I’m very happy that this is helping to make the Marching 100’s brand even wider,” Oloyede said. “The Marching 100 deserves the recognition that we receive, so seeing that my success was also a byproduct of it makes me very glad.
“Even though this is just a one-video-one-product type of deal for now,” she added, “I’m confident that it will make room for more things. I’m just really grateful that a Rattler saw me and gave me the opportunity.”
Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU alum, former head drum major, has Head & Shoulders endorsement deal
Reporting by Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
