Wilkinson Sword Styles the Population with Grooming Inspirations

As the Covid-19 pandemic forced the UK into lock down, consumers rapidly had to change the way they shop, with more focus shifting to online. We also knew that men could continue to feel good if they maintained their personal care regime, giving the brand an opportunity to play a relevant role in their lives during lockdown.

The MullenLowe UK team needed to support the Wilkinson Sword UK team to ensure the brand maintained an authentic presence during the crisis and adapt its communications to meet the change in consumer purchase behaviour. The agency responded quickly, providing a strategic recommendation to Wilkinson Sword, which offered guidance on how the brand should react, plan and talk authentically during this period. This was followed up with a creative recommendation for a social campaign to support a free online sampling promotion, driving consumers to the Wilkinson Sword retailer website.

The team identified the insight that during lockdown, men are provided with the opportunity to experiment with their look behind the safety of closed doors, avoiding the sometimes-embarrassing period that comes with changing or growing out a new style and facing colleagues, families and

friends. With the freedom to experiment becoming more relevant each day, the team recommended the creative idea: 'Now’s the time to sharpen your style'.

The social campaign uses a set of 25 illustrations with accompanying copy, to encourage men to experiment with new styles for facial, torso and intimate area hair during the lockdown, all within the privacy of their own homes. The campaign will run on Facebook and Instagram for a month-long period from Wednesday 29th April. The creative and production team worked with illustrator Stanley Chow to bring the campaign to life.