Wilkinson Sword, the 250-year-old British heritage shaving brand that is part of the Edgewell portfolio, has rebranded to breathe new life into the shaving category.
This includes a bold and provocative new brand positioning – called ‘The Blade Masters since 1772’ – as well as new packaging, new communications and a modern look and feel to ignite a renewed love of shaving among male shoppers.
The longest-standing shave brand in the UK is primed to lead category recovery efforts with its largest brand investment in recent times.
The razors and blades category is in long-term decline but opportunities still exist to drive growth, the brand noted, as it aims to recruit more men, 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 Blade Masters since 1772’ draws on Wilkinson’s Sword’s 250 years of expertise by positioning the brand as the voice of shaving wisdom with unparalleled category knowledge.
In a bold departure from what Wilkinson Sword has done before – and from what currently exists within the category – a humorous physical personification of the brand, The Blade Master, will be introduced for the first time this summer in a new above-the-line advertising campaign to break the inertia and inject fun into the category.
Hydro range in focus
In store, Wilkinson Sword will be transforming the men’s shaving fixture with new packaging to focus on the category’s key performance driver – the blade.
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 instill shaving confidence right from the fixture.
Wilkinson Sword will be using the rebrand to promote its Hydro range, which pioneered skin care in shaving.
Hydro 5 is the brand’s highest-performing master blade for everyday care. The product features unique hydrating pools that moisturise the skin and smooth the passing of five carbon-coated blades to achieve the closest shave while preventing redness and irritation.
“Men’s shaving needs a rethink and the category is never going to grow if we maintain the status quo,” Euan Condron, brand manager at Wilkinson Sword, said.
“As the longest-standing brand in the category, no one knows blades better than Wilkinson Sword and so we feel a sense of responsibility to intervene and do something different. This rebrand is the most significant in our 250-year history and we have taken the brand in a bold new direction we feel confident will re-engage younger consumers and facilitate long-term, sustainable growth.”
The above-the-line advertising campaign has launched on 20 May and the new pack designs are phasing into stores now.
Jo Taylorson