Edgewell Rebrands Schick & Digs Into Social Listening

Edgewell Personal Care is rebranding Schick and tapping into Reddit and TikTok for new social listening initiatives.

The rebrand includes a new logo, website, and packaging, all intended to boost the brand’s authenticity. The company is also launching a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) series and Tiktok #SchickAsks hashtag challenge, with the intention of using the insights in future consumer engagement.

A survey commissioned by the grooming brand found that 85% of men prefer to see “everyday” people depicted in ads, and so it partnered with director Mike Mills and creative agency Partners & Spade for a series of interviews with non-actors to lean into the call for authenticity. The film does not feature any Schick products.  

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The men’s grooming category took a hit during the pandemic as consumers relaxed their personal care routines amid decreased socialization. But the global personal care market, valued by Grand View Research at $30.8 billion, is expected to receive a shot in the arm from accelerating e-commerce purchases.

What’s more, Gen Z consumers’ increasing desire to disregard gender binaries serve as a major growth opportunity for brands, according to Grand View.

“With increasing awareness among men regarding personal grooming products, men are now more than willing to indulge in personal grooming as a part of self-care,” noted the research firm. “For new brands entering the market, introducing more male models as part of the photoshoot for unisex products is proving to be beneficial.”

Schick’s consumer survey seems to reinforce that trend: Three-quarters of respondents said they look for brands that “empower them to be their unique self, and 7 in 10 men said they wish they could see men who look like them in personal care ads.

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Matt Bell, senior VP of Schick North America, said shave category ads have historically narrowly defined consumers in a narrow fashion, and so it wants to reshape the category narrative to resonate with broader and existing target audiences.

“What we heard with our survey is that men want this type of advertising to depict real individuals,” he said in a statement.  

In addition to Schick, Edgewell includes the Wilkinson Sword, Edge, and Skintimate shave brands, as well as the Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, Bulldog and Jack Black skin care brands. It picked up direct-to-consumer personal care brand Billie last year in a $310 million cash deal.