Wilkinson Sword Intuition unveils 'bluntly honest' push

Edgewell Personal Care is launching a major new pan-European campaign for female shaving brand Wilkinson Sword Intuition, by “boldy going where no brand has gone before” and acknowledging the real truths about women’s body hair maintenance.

The ‘Any Hair, Anywhere’ campaign, is the first activity by Pablo since it was appointed to the account in October last year.

It was born out of extensive research across key markets in Europe, which identified that most women were tired of shaving being portrayed as a spa moment or having different pressures being put on an act of self-maintenance.

Wilkinson Sword Intuition saw an opportunity to challenge these category norms with a new brand platform that embraces fresh, blunt honesty by making the simple assertion that hair grows everywhere on a woman’s body.

In taking this approach, Wilkinson Sword Intuition aims to make any hair-care choice feel simpler and positive, by assuring women that the brand has the right tools for any hair-removal job they decide to make.

Because the truth is that the vast majority of women in Wilkinson Sword Intuition’s markets shave, 88% in fact. A large proportion of these women simply see shaving as another essential self-maintenance act, that swallows on average, 960 minutes of their time annually.

This has only increased since hair removal habits have shifted significantly over recent years, with women now shaving more parts of their bodies than ever before. The research highlighted that, ultimately, when women are spending that much time on it, they are simply focused on getting the job done efficiently and safely.

‘Any Hair, Anywhere’ represents the most significant marketing investment in recent history for the brand and celebrates Wilkinson Sword Intuition’s mission to be the brand women trust throughout their lifelong relationship with body hair, showcasing the great tools they provide that are designed around the nuances of women’s bodies. Razors that do the job with care, from brow to toe.

The launch film, directed by Marielle Heller, director of Golden-Globe nominated Nightbitch, is set to music produced by Noah Sacre and sung by the UK artist Ruti.

This portrayal of women’s relationships with body hair, never shies away from the reality of hair growth and maintenance for all life stages, showing all its messy, sometimes funny, honesty. The TV ad is supported by OOH, social media and digital activity.

The campaign will launch across Wilkinson Sword Intuition’s 29 European markets, and includes a partnership with the Women’s Rugby World Cup in the UK. Media planning and buying has been handled by VCCP in the UK, and Wavemaker in Germany and France.

Edgewell marketing director for Europe Jonathan Norman said: “Traditional women’s shaving advertising whittles down the female shaving experience to either a ‘spa moment’ or political statement. The reality is that hair grows everywhere – legs, face, bikini, pits, stomach, back, lip, toe – you name it, the list goes on.

“But no brand (until now) is talking about that openly, honestly and with a bit of good humour. Our new positioning boldly goes where no brand has gone before by focusing on real-life experiences – showing women everywhere that we’re a brand that knows them, understands them, and authentically speaks to them. And when it comes to managing their hair removal, Intuition has all the tools women need to maintain their body hair in any way they see fit.”

Pablo managing creative director Ray Shaughnessy added: “The world of beauty and self-care maintenance is deeply complex for women for pretty much their entire lives, so we wanted to create a new voice in the category that doesn’t add stress or guilt or suggest women need to light a candle if they’re shaving their pits.

“In a world where we can proudly flex a brushed-out brow but no body hair, our female-strong Pablo team was very clear about wanting to support any choice that any woman wants to make, but show it with the real-talk and humour that the subject needs. Every touchpoint of the re-imagined Intuition world, from our new brand system to Mari’s film, has this punchy mix of blunt honesty, precision and celebrates our often messy lives.”