SHELTON, CT: Schick Hydro has launched a purpose-led campaign, The Man I Am, which aims to reinforce and celebrate the individuality and authenticity of men from all walks of life.
The campaign’s debut videos feature Willie Spence, Kevin Carroll, and ZU-nA, real men chosen by the brand based on the way they expressed themselves in user-generated content. The push, which is launching on Monday and is set to extend through this year, is running across digital and social media, featuring a spectrum of diverse men confidently saying, "This is the man I am, and this is the shave I want."
Inspiration for The Man I Am came from research MullenLowe did on Schick Hydro’s target consumer, men ages 18 to 34. It found that two out of three men feel significant pressure to "act like men" and don’t believe media shows an accurate depiction of them, explained Patrick Kane, group marketing director for Schick Hydro parent Edgewell Personal Care.
"There’s been a lot of change in the category with guys and trying to find a way to define on their own what it means to be a man today," he said. "It has been topical; the old adages don’t seem to apply. A lot of times, men are getting frustrated with some of the depictions of what it means to be masculine."
MullenLowe generated the campaign and is handling PR. The effort’s budget was not disclosed.
One campaign element is a video series featuring basketball star and mental health advocate, Kevin Love. The company selected the Cleveland Cavalier because he opened up this year about his own personal struggles with mental health. As part of the partnership, Love is holding conversations with "iconic guests" about the evolving definition of positive masculinity. The series is called Locker Room Talk.
"When [Love] talked about mental health, it was striking because that is something professional athletes rarely talk about," said Kane. "We thought that was compelling and showed how much of a gap there is between what guys are thinking and what they are asking and talking about. [Love] being part of the campaign gives people permission to have that conversation."
Through the web series, which will debut this month, Schick Hydro will raise money for both the Kevin Love Fund, which works to inspire people to live their healthiest lives while providing tools to achieve emotional and physical well-being, and the Movember Foundation. Through the partnership, Schick Hydro will be the official razor brand of Movember.
"A lot of people recognize what Movember does to raise awareness for prostate cancer, but they have expanded beyond that to more men’s health, including a mental health aspect," Kane explained. "They are a great way to help amplify [Love’s] message and a campaign message to bring that to life in a way that is very engaging."
