2014 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

For years, men have been led to believe that shaving is all about the next razor upgrade. But what is equally essential to a stubble-free face is the shaving gel itself. And NIVEA MEN offers the best one. To re-launch the NIVEA MEN Shaving Gel and reinvigorate sales, we were challenged to remind men of the importance of a good shaving gel.

Creative Execution

NIVEA MEN's biggest competitor has a wide range of razors. This bold stunt helped us to change the conversation and demonstrate that razors alone aren't important for shaving… in a way that had never been attempted before.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

We set up a rather fun and provocative little stunt inside a local high-end barber shop. We placed secret cameras, a professional barber, and enough swords, daggers, hunting knives, axes and meat cleavers to directly demonstrate that you can shave with any blade… what you really need is a good shaving gel. The sight of scary blades led customers to direct action - some leapt, some screamed, but all got the message in a pretty unforgettable way. Then, to reach more men in the region, we uploaded the video online.

Results

The stunt shocked and forced men in the barber shop to react. But all of them understood the point we were making. 6 weeks after uploading the video, the best part of 3 million had watched it on youtube alone. Visits to the NIVEA MEN website increased by 42%. But most importantly, NIVEA MEN's market share for pre-shaves almost doubled - going up from 7.3% to 14.1%. Now, millions of men know that they don't have to wait for another razor upgrade to get a close shave.