The shaving industry has perhaps never been bigger. From products like Headblade to mail away shaving clubs to The Art of Shaving and King of Shaves chains, hair removal is spending more time courting males than ever before with slick promotions, viral videos and immersive experiences. Whereas earlier generations were focused on keeping hair, now it is more fashionable to remove it and do so in high style.
The business is pardon the pun…cutthroat…with major suppliers constantly being usurped by quick and affordable gimmick sales, but every once in a while a smart challenger sneaks through with a fun promotion…or an idea just to raise awareness.
Such was the case last week when the online site 800Razors.com throughout an offer to recently returned and well bearded Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Brian Wilson. Wilson’s beard achieved legendary status during the San Francisco Giants World Series run, as he anchored the bullpen to the title. Injuries have kept Wilson out of the game for several years, but hos magnificent beard continued to grow throughout his rehab, and it remained his signature look as he continued his road back and moved on the Dodgers, where he made his first appearance in an MLB game since April 2012 last week.
Seeing an opportunity, 800 Razors.com threw caution to the wind, offering up a million dollars to shave Wilson with their signature line of products. Did they have the cash? Would a portion go to charity? Where would the hair go? Could they find a bright Hollywood light to do the honors? None of it mattered. What mattered was the site found a quick, fun and easy way to literally cut through the shaving category clutter by making the offer to Wilson, and then riding the wave of publicity, to get no-cost brand exposure.
Now Wilson’s love of his beard is well known, as it the fact that he is not hurting for cash, as a result of his sold bullpen years with the Giants before the injury. Hos beard makes his larger than life persona…without it he is another rehabbing pitcher, so 800razors risk was really low. They got an even bigger bump when Wilson…and hos beard…picked up on the story and his beard announced they were spurning the offer?
End of the day for 800razors.com…the cost of a press release, some viral and social spending, and oodles of free exposure. They had a god story, a low risk idea, and the arm’s length participation of an athlete on a high profile team in a city that loves unique ideas and stunts. Where does it go from here? Will the brand fund a way to engage Wilson with some other shaving stunts or some fun viral campaigns? Does it just go away while the beard stays? Some answers may depend upon if Wilson makes it back stronger than ever. If he doesn’t he may be looking for a spot or two in the limelight…if he does, he will probably let his beard, and his pitching, do the talking.
Either way it was a solid PR pitch, one that hit a homer for a renegade shaving brand in a major league category.
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