The transformative power of shaving cream and shower gel might have been a tad overblown in the annals of advertising for men’s grooming products.
In fact, using a certain body spray will not make you an action star, gentlemen, or win over that supermodel or give you six-pack abs. Sorry!
Harry’s, which has grown from its shave-club e-commerce roots into a billion-dollar brand, started with that truism for a new campaign. The goal was to inject some reality, with a knowing wink, into a traditionally overhyped segment.
To get there, the brand and agency Zulu Alpha Kilo New York borrowed some well-worn Hollywood tropes for a series of spots launching today. The commercials, shot in France, make the point that Harry’s products can leave a guy smelling like cypress and sandalwood, but overhaul his entire life? Well…
“Telling it straight has been in Harry’s DNA from day one so it only made sense that the campaign went to hilarious lengths to explain what Harry’s can and cannot do,” Tim Gordon, the agency’s chief creative office and partner, told ADWEEK. “Great products and a surprisingly affordable price? Check. Make you a rugged man, give you bad-boy aura, become a whole new man? There are like at least 17 somewhat dodgy steps needed.”
The cinematic spots play with what those steps could look like—to breathless, melodramatic effect—with creatives taking cues from gritty ‘90s crime flicks and classic thrillers, Gordon said.
The effort is a departure from previous marketing, and it introduces a larger rebrand and package revamp for Harry’s in its 12th year of business. The company plans to boost its media spending by 30% this year compared to 2024, using the new tagline “Man, That Feels Good” as an anchor, according to Giselle Balagat, Harry’s vice president of brand.
“This is an umbrella campaign, and we want it to drive awareness across our product line,” Balagat told ADWEEK. “It’s a brand-building moment for us, and something we haven’t done before.”
Though razors have been the company’s bread and butter since its direct-to-consumer founding in 2013, Harry’s now sells body wash, skin care, hair care, and more at mass retailers and online. But consumer awareness of those other segments is scant, “single to high 20s” among existing customers and “even lower” among non-converts, per Balagat.