“Another Saturday night and I ain’t got nobody, I got some money ’cause I just got paid, How I wish I had someone to talk to, I’m in an awful way…”
If, like one of Decision Marketing‘s star columnists, this Sam Cooke classic strikes a chord with some of you blokes, maybe, just maybe, Wilkinson Sword has the answer to your dating conundrums.
You see, instead of going into meltdown over the rise of the beard, the brand is embracing bristles to reveal what style can turn dreamers into dreamboats.
Conceived by creative agency Space and powered by insights uncovered in an extensive study combining data science and qualitative research, “Date Night Mastered” is designed to shed new light on facial hair trends, regional preferences, and perceptions of different beard styles from over 3,000 UK respondents.
It is being backed by a multi-media push over the coming months, which will encompass social, influencer, digital, PR and events, with VCCP Media handling media planning and buying.
The campaign builds on the brand’s ‘Blade Masters since 1772’ positioning and comedic TV and OOH ads launched in May.
With dating being an occasion when men want to feel supremely confident in their appearance, the “Date Night Mastered” campaign aims to equip them with the knowledge that facial hair styles significantly impact not only attractiveness but also perceived personality traits.
It is based on the notion that the right facial hair style, can increase dating success, apparently.
To drive the activity forward, Wilkinson Sword has partnered with dating app Thursday to put its research findings to the test at its weekly singles dating events.
A unique AI-enhanced barber salon, helmed by award-winning barber Dan Gregory, allows guests to transform their faces and test out different facial hair styles before committing to a shave.
The Wilkinson Sword ‘Blade Master’ AI grooming consultations are designed to educate men on the best styles to suit their face shapes and dating ambitions, drawing on the findings of the study, which was undertaken by market research agency Opinium with behavioural scientist and expert in facial perception Professor Tim Andrews.
Edgewell Personal Care brand manager of Wilkinson Sword Euan Condron commented: “Wilkinson Sword is on a mission to inspire shaving confidence in men. Dating is one of those occasions when men want to feel especially confident and to look their best.
“So, we’re not only arming men with the best tools but also the insights and know-how to help them master a subject at the heart of many young men’s lives – the dating game.
“We’re delighted to have undertaken the UK’s first study analysing facial hair in the context of modern dating and look forward to sharing our learnings and grooming advice with the British public in a series of initiatives we have planned over the coming months.”
Space managing partner Jason Nicholas added: “As the longest-standing brand in the category, no one knows blades better than Wilkinson Sword. And now, no one knows more than them about what types of facial hair styles work best in the dating game thanks to the extensive study that we’ve pulled together.”
So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?
To be fair, we have never been big fans of face fluff – we love a clean shave – but we recognise we are in the minority. Many blokes young and old have some sort of stubble, and it seems everything from chinstraps and goatees to hipster beards and moustaches can make them more attractive.
And, if you don’t want to spend “another Saturday night” alone, we guess this could be worth a shot…
Decision Marketing Adometer: A “a cut above the rest?” 7 out of 10
