Something is happening in the advertising-for-women space. What started as a slow burn in the period sector, appears to now be a tidal wave across different product categories. What used to be highly-romanticised and stylised depictions of everyday essentials (bungee jumping whilst wearing a tampon, for example) are fast becoming the all-natural reality of those situations. The most recent example just landed in my inbox and comes from Wilkinson Sword, the razor company (spoiler: there's a brilliant launch film further down the page).
I don't think I'd realised consciously that hair removal was another space in which advertisers love to create faux-indulgent situations that would never happen in real life (definitely not contenders for the best ads ever). We've all noticed how models in those adverts seem to be shaving legs with no hair, but the joy they feel whilst shaving their legs is also unmatched. I've certainly never felt a 'me' moment whilst bending uncomfortably to reach the backs of my calves.
Created by Pablo, the project for Wilkinson Sword Intuition was led by an all-female team, which is probably why it carries such a strong sense of authenticity. The research done by that team suggested that women overwhelmingly feel that shaving is either presented as a 'spa moment' or is politicised when in reality we just want to get in and out as quickly as possible.
"The world of beauty and self-care maintenance is deeply complex for women for pretty much their entire lives, so we wanted to create a new voice in the category that doesn’t add stress or guilt or suggest women need to light a candle if they’re shaving their pits," said Ray Shaughnessy, Managing Creative Director at Pablo.
"The reality is that hair grows everywhere - legs, face, bikini, pits, stomach, back, lip, toe - you name it, the list goes on," says Jonathan Norman, Marketing Director for Europe at Edgewell. "But no brand (until now) is talking about that openly, honestly and with a bit of good humour. Our new positioning boldly goes where no other brand has gone before by focusing on real-life experiences."
The campaign aesthetic actually achieves this really nicely with an authentically low-fi, close-up and natural photographic style that captures the reality of hair removal in all its unglamorous glory with a diverse range of body types and shaving situations. And the 'Any Hair, Anywhere' tagline is witty, reflecting the strategy perfectly.
The launch film, directed by Marielle Heller, director of Golden-Globe nominated Nightbitch is set to music produced by Noah Sacre and sung by the UK artist Ruti. The film is equally as close and personal and has a thumping soundtrack that includes amusing lyrics like "Nips, lips, some on the back, knees, toes, six on the crack." And get this, the women actually have hair.
I'll be honest I opened the email not expecting to be particularly touched by this campaign. But the strategy has resonated with me in a big way, and I think it's a clever move forward in the consumer space. It's real and unfiltered and I'm surprised to realise it's exactly what I needed as a consumer.
The campaign, Any Hair, Anywhere launches in the UK on the 28th April 2025. Media planning and buying was handled by VCCP in the UK, and Wavemaker in Germany and France.
For more excellent ads, see our best ads by decade series.
