Gillette's Rusty Image

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Gillette. It sounds like the French name for a dilettante or a dandy. What we'd call a sissy. All soft. Not hard and strong. Now technological leadership is why the brand wraps itself in science fiction imagery. Who else could put 4,5,6,7,8,9 or ten blades in one shaving head? Ridiculous. But doesn't Gillette's CEO realize that only 3% of men over 18 find science fiction appealing? Why not target the 1% of us that listen to jazz? Obviously the brand is having trouble relating and resonating with its core audience. Are we sure this is a man's brand? NYC firemen are our role models today ... men's men ... not Gillette Fusion's Captain Kirk and Jean Luc Picard. (Do they shave in the 24th Century?)

So maybe it's time for an extreme makeover.

Option 1)



Bring in Leo Burnett and The Marlboro Man. Cowboys are always rough, tough, big and strong and sexy too!

Option 2)



Package razors and razor blades like hand tools. Men like tools.

Option 3)



Choose new colors. Corvette Yellow and DeWalt Black says big and strong - and men like tools.

Option 4)

Position razors as tools, not as personal care or health & beauty aids. Did we say men like tools?

Option 5)



Burl razor handles like pocket knives. Make the blade and handle foldable. Real men carry pocket knives. Offend business people who can't take knives to work or the airport. You have to stand for something and executives are not your core audience anyway. Only 30% of Americans graduated from college. The rest of us don't work at Procter & Gamble or J. Walter Thompson Advertising. We're out hunting real turkeys, watching pro bass fishing, thumbing through Bow Archer and Field & Stream.




Option 6)

Create a razor called "The BackStroke." Put blades on both sides. After all, swimmers, actors and gay men shave hair from their entire body.