Dollar Shave Club Cuts the BS With “Order of the Blade,” the First Customer-Lead Pop-Up Ad Agency

Creative agency Humanaut puts real customers in creative control for the disruptive shaving brand’s best razor ever

Dollar Shave Club, the brand that famously disrupted the grooming industry by calling out “corporate BS,” is once again flipping the script with the launch of “Order of the Blade“– a pop-up, “out-house” ad agency made entirely of real customers. The brand is betting on the unfiltered, unscripted voices of 23 real Dollar Shave Club members to introduce its best razor ever, available in both the Signature 6 Blade and the Classic 4 Blade.

“We set out to launch our new razor in a way that would stand apart from the over-hyped and scripted ads men are bombarded with,” said Larry Bodner, CEO at Dollar Shave Club. “Humanaut tapped into Dollar Shave Club’s BS-free ethos that has always just told it like it is— by putting our members in charge of the creative — proving once again that when you cut out the BS, you get something bold, real, and unforgettable.”

Order of the Blade is the first ad agency run by real customers that only exists when in-person creative meetings are needed. Dollar Shave Club customers travel to the agency’s secret pop-up location to brainstorm ideas and even appear in the ads. There, the members take on the roles of creative directors, writers, and even talent. And because creativity thrives on fun, the space is packed with playful distractions — from remote-control car tracks to a real-life version of Fruit Ninja.

During the Order of the Blade creative summit, held in Chattanooga, TN, 23 Dollar Shave Club members were briefed on the new razors, tested the products, and provided feedback on pricing strategies. Humanaut’s Founder and Chief Magician, David Littlejohn, guided the customers through creative exercises that resulted in billboards, TV commercial copy, actor direction, jingles, product shoot ideas, and suggested future collaborations and member perks. The result: breakthrough creative and an abundance of potential content and ideas created in just two days. No scripts. No pre-fed lines. Just genuine ideas and authentic concepts from real guys—staying true to the brand’s DNA.

All Order of the Blade “creatives” were given Dollar Shave Club business cards. There is also an Order of the Blade landing page that is going live in tandem with the campaign launch. The out-house agency will be credited for all work produced during the two days.

Humanaut, which produces 100% of its work in-house, serves as the production company and post house for the Order of the Blade. The campaign represents a significant milestone as Humanaut‘s first work for Dollar Shave Club since winning the business in March of this year, marking a return to the brand’s irreverent, no-nonsense roots that originally disrupted the men’s personal care industry. The integrated campaign is designed to generate significant launch buzz, reinforce Dollar Shave Club’s core brand values of authenticity and value, and deliver measurable results across brand awareness, customer acquisition, and product trial metrics.

“I’ve spent most of my time at Humanaut beating the BS and cleverness out of advertising creatives. Getting great, honest and hilarious work out of real people was actually much easier and saved Dollar Shave Club a bunch of time and money,” added Littlejohn. “The world better watch out for these guys. Order of the Blade as an agency model is going to give every other creative agency out there a real run for their money.” 

The campaign is launching with long-form videos and various cutdowns across multiple channels, including Meta, AMZ Brand Store, streaming, Comcast, Youtube, Google Display, AppLovin, and OOH. Dollar Shave Club will also be hosting events in more than 10 cities, including Columbus, Nashville, Austin, and Gainesville, as well as a Tailgate Tour spanning 10 markets through November 22, partnering with NCAA athletes from powerhouse schools, including the University of Texas, Ohio State University, and the University of Michigan.

Source: Humanaut

  Advertising, Campaign, Dollar Shave Club, Humanaut, Marketing