Pablo repositions Wilkinson Sword as 'The Blade Masters'

The agency's debut campaign for the brand pokes fun at razors with bad blades

By Creative Salon

20 May 2024

Wilkinson Sword's campaign ‘The Blade Masters since 1772’ is part of a major repositioning that humorously showcases the brand’s 250-year expertise in blades by highlighting the uselessness of dull razors.

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.

Sophie Rock, head of brand for Wilkinson Sword at Edgewell, said: “The world of men’s shaving has stagnated, and we knew 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. We’re so excited to introduce our new campaign. We believe that it taps into our heritage in a modern, compelling, and disruptive way to drive real difference within the category.”

Dan Watts, executive creative director at Pablo added: “It’s been a smooth joy to glide around the face of amusement with Wilkinson Sword. We look forward to making more sharp, surprising, and entertaining work with the team and, of course, The Blade Master.”

To ensure the campaign landed with impact in different countries, Pablo worked with Flawless, the globally recognised 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.