Wilkinson Sword has unveiled ‘The Blade Masters since 1772’, a major campaign to reposition the shave brand and highlight its new-look packaging.
Set to roll out from today across 29 European markets, including the UK, the push marked “the brand’s most significant marketing investment in recent history”, it said. “The disruptive campaign cements Wilkinson Sword’s role as the ultimate challenger brand.”
The activity centres on the new Blade Master character, a suave, middle-aged man. In three comical ads, he pokes fun at razors with bad blades by comparing them to a bartender with no sense of accuracy, a doctor with no training, and a waiter trained in a zoo.
Each 30-second short ends with the smartly dressed Blade Master striking an overly dramatic pose with two rapiers – a nod to Wilkinson Sword’s name and its origin 252 years ago as a weapons maker.
‘The Blade Masters since 1772’ drew “on Wilkinson Sword’s history at the forefront of blade design and innovation”, the Edgewell brand said.
It was aimed at men aged 18 to 34, “to encourage them to shave more often and choose products that offer better performance and care by putting pride, value and confidence back into the blade”.
The men’s shaving category had “stagnated”, said Sophie Rock, head of brand for Wilkinson Sword at Edgewell. “We needed to do something different to stand out from the crowd and engage with men on a different level – one that’s much more fun and engaging.”
The new push tapped “our heritage in a modern, compelling, and disruptive way to drive real difference within the category”.
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‘The Blade Masters since 1772’ comes as Wilkinson Sword has updated its packaging to give it a more contemporary look and put greater focus on blade quality. “The clean and slick new packs eschew complex language to highlight key product attributes, quality and performance cues that men are really looking for to instil shaving confidence right from the fixture,” according to the brand.
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