| Philosophy | Wilkinson Sword, the heritage brand part of the Edgewell portfolio, has launched ‘The Blade Masters since 1772’, a major repositioning campaign to humorously showcase the brand’s 250-year expertise in blades. Created by the independent creative agency, Pablo, the new campaign will launch across Wilkinson Sword’s 29 European markets and represents the brand’s most significant marketing investment in recent history. In a bold departure from its traditional advertising, the disruptive campaign cements Wilkinson Sword's role as the ultimate challenger brand thanks to three tongue-in-cheek hero films that introduce a new brand character for the very first time. The films, directed by Craig Ainsley, are centred around ‘The Blade Master’, an enigmatic and suave character who 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. Who is the Blade Master? No one really knows. What we do know is that he knows blades. The campaign launch is a landmark moment for the heritage brand looking to appeal to a younger target audience who are used to razor blade advertising that relies on celebrities looking uncomfortable in bathrooms. The campaign messaging draws on Wilkinson Sword’s history at the forefront of blade design and innovation, inspiring men aged 18-34 to pursue a more masterful shave with a dose of humour thrown in for good measure. The brand’s elegantly simple point of difference was first identified by strategic consultancy, Where Magic Happens, who delved back into Wilkinson Sword’s history to uncover an unparalleled understanding of performance borne out of a deep heritage in blade making. To ensure the campaign landed with impact in different countries, Pablo worked with Flawless, the globally recognized AI film company, to “vub” (visual dub) the English picture into French and German. Leveraging its cutting-edge TrueSync™ technology, Pablo produced perfectly lip-synced films, enabling The Blade Master to speak directly to international audiences with the impact of a native voice. The Blade Masters Since 1772 launches in the UK on the 20th May. The campaign will be supported by VOD, online and OOH. Media planning and buying was handled by VCCP in the UK, and Wavemaker in Germany and France. |