At Front Runner Films we get our kicks by exploring the many creative solutions that video content can provide for business’. We believe that every company has a story to tell and an obstacle in telling it. In this series of blog articles we take a deeper look at some of our favorite Branded Video marketing campaigns, and what has made them such a success.
Case Study #3: “Our Blades Are F***ing Great”
- Client: Dollar Shave Club
- Agency: Developed by Hank Wasiak, Partner, The Concept Farm
- Year: 2012
- Distribution: The video was originally launched on YouTube, and across social media platforms, and later on broadcast television.
The Problem:
Shaving is a boring yet necessary task for most, yet there is very little (if any) buzz about it, online or otherwise. How to open a conversation about a personal experience that most people don’t want to share about. Traditional commercials for shaving products use A-level celebrities or sports stars, not a possibility for this brand new start up. How do they make people aware of this brand new, never before seen service, and change the way they purchase shaving products, attracting their key demographic (skews heavily towards shaving-age men and their partners).
The Solution:
Create a video that ignores the conventional approach to over-priced, store-bought razors, and instead tells an authentic and heartfelt story that’s so funny it goes viral. The objective was to create something that people simply had to share online and with their friends, relying on word of mouth there was very little promotion or paid seeding. Direct, simple and passionate, with a very clear point of view, the resulting marketing video is co-written and stars the founder and CEO that started the business Michael Dubin which only enhances how genuine it feels. There was a focus on keeping it short and sharp and fast-moving with constant surprises and risque, laugh-out-loud moments, but each of their USPs (unique selling points) is hit on. Concentrating on all the negatives of purchasing shaving products in store, the combination of humor and offering a real solution resulted in an AV experience that was both educational and entertaining.
The Results:
In the first two weeks, over 12,000 new members signed up. It went viral so fast that the site crashed within hours of it’s launch. In the months that followed the video clocked more than 22 million times! Since the launch subsequent videos were launched as well as a slew of copycat parody videos mostly produced by real Dollar Shave Club members after receiving the product. Today Dollar Shave Club has grown to a team of about 45 full-time employees, 1.1 million subscribers, a whopping $615 million valuation in 2015, and most recently a $1 Billion all-cash acquisition by Unilever. The company has now expanded to other toiletry and skincare products, offering the same subscription, membership model. Dollar Shaving Club told a unique story that was relevant and recognizable to many.
At Front Runner Films we get our kicks by exploring the many creative solutions that video content can provide for business’. We believe that every company has a story to tell and an obstacle in telling it. In this series of blog articles we take a deeper look at some of our favorite Branded Video marketing campaigns, and what has made them such a success.
Case Study #3: “Our Blades Are F***ing Great”
- Client: Dollar Shave Club
- Agency: Developed by Hank Wasiak, Partner, The Concept Farm
- Year: 2012
- Distribution: The video was originally launched on YouTube, and across social media platforms, and later on broadcast television.
The Problem:
Shaving is a boring yet necessary task for most, yet there is very little (if any) buzz about it, online or otherwise. How to open a conversation about a personal experience that most people don’t want to share about. Traditional commercials for shaving products use A-level celebrities or sports stars, not a possibility for this brand new start up. How do they make people aware of this brand new, never before seen service, and change the way they purchase shaving products, attracting their key demographic (skews heavily towards shaving-age men and their partners).
The Solution:
Create a video that ignores the conventional approach to over-priced, store-bought razors, and instead tells an authentic and heartfelt story that’s so funny it goes viral. The objective was to create something that people simply had to share online and with their friends, relying on word of mouth there was very little promotion or paid seeding. Direct, simple and passionate, with a very clear point of view, the resulting marketing video is co-written and stars the founder and CEO that started the business Michael Dubin which only enhances how genuine it feels. There was a focus on keeping it short and sharp and fast-moving with constant surprises and risque, laugh-out-loud moments, but each of their USPs (unique selling points) is hit on. Concentrating on all the negatives of purchasing shaving products in store, the combination of humor and offering a real solution resulted in an AV experience that was both educational and entertaining.
The Results:
In the first two weeks, over 12,000 new members signed up. It went viral so fast that the site crashed within hours of it’s launch. In the months that followed the video clocked more than 22 million times! Since the launch subsequent videos were launched as well as a slew of copycat parody videos mostly produced by real Dollar Shave Club members after receiving the product. Today Dollar Shave Club has grown to a team of about 45 full-time employees, 1.1 million subscribers, a whopping $615 million valuation in 2015, and most recently a $1 Billion all-cash acquisition by Unilever. The company has now expanded to other toiletry and skincare products, offering the same subscription, membership model. Dollar Shaving Club told a unique story that was relevant and recognizable to many.
Takeaways:
Humor and originality remain two of the strongest driving forces behind the most successful branded video content. Even a boring and often unspoken about subject was made fun and shareable using an original and funny approach that was a little risque (profanity alert!) and a lot authentic. The combination of a heartfelt, passionate and brand story, a new and valuable service and the witty reminders of all the things that are universally disliked about buying razors in store, produced a branded video that not only educated and enticed the target demo, but also entertained them to the point that they felt compelled to share it with their friends.
References:
https://youtu.be/ZUG9qYTJMsI (original video)
https://www.dollarshaveclub.com
Front Runner Films is a Los Angeles based, award-winning Production Company specializing in telling humorous and unique stories for business. We are experts in finding the heart of your company’s story and communicating it effectively in the form of commercials, corporate and branding videos produced to the highest quality on time and on budget. Every time. Because we love what we do. Find out more about us here.
