Philips

The Bodygroom men’s electric shaver is meant for shaving below the neckline, a facet of men’s grooming that in the past has received little attention.

DDB found that for all their bravado, most men considered body grooming a taboo topic. Rather than name body parts, the agency decided to use evocative innuendo. This humorous approach would desensitize the subject matter, steer clear of any regulatory issues and score points with the young male demographic.

Given the limited budget, radio was the perfect medium to create hype and maximize traffic to the website. The spots began with an announcement that, due to the sensitive subject matter, the specific applications of the Bodygroom couldn’t be discussed. Instead, an expert offered seemingly innocuous tips euphemistic of nether-region grooming. “Housekeeping Tips” reminded listeners to “check between the cushions.” “Gardening Tips” stressed “the importance of mowing your front lawn, and if you have one, your back lawn too.” To take it a step further, an actor appeared in a window display at the Bay flagship store in Toronto wearing a terrycloth robe and surrounded by well-groomed topiaries.

The talk value paid off tremendously. In major centres, the campaign generated 980,781 aired impressions through radio co-promotions and DJ chatter. Web hits in May were 10 times the typical monthly activity. Within seven months, Philips became the number two brand in the category, and the campaign won awards locally and internationally, including the Mercury Awards.