JWT New York recently launched “Ready, Shave, Shine” for Schick, a “a music video inspired by the brand’s partnership with Pitch Perfect 2.”
The ad, which acts as an extension of its “Rock Your Legs” campaign for the brand, is a bit troublesome for its women-on-women body shaming. Obviously, it’s JWT’s job to sell Schick’s products (specifically Schick Hydro Silk, Schick Intuition and Skintimate in this ad), but referring to a woman without any visible hair on her legs as having “leg hair like a porcupine” feels offensive and woefully outdated, especially in the wake of other brands’ efforts to combat stereotypical ideals of beauty. Later on the ad attempts to backtrack a bit, telling viewers “…don’t hate it, just shave it,” but it feels like a small concession ahead of anticipated backlash and clashes with images of women (again, without any actual visible leg hair) covering up their legs in shame. Ultimately, the spot just feels in poor taste (and not just because of the music). While the brand claims the ad “celebrates the different steps a woman takes each day to create a confident style as unique as the legs she stands on” in a press release, that’s certainly not the impression we got from it. In addition to the “Ready, Shave, Shine” spot, the campaign also includes limited edition products, a custom Spotify channel, social media efforts, and in-film product placement.
Credits:
Executive Creative Director: Sarah Barclay
Creative Directors: Matt Zavala, Suyin Sleeman
Copywriters: Erin Copithorne, Kate Carter
Head of Production: Lisa Setten
Executive Producer: Jason Way
Director of Music: Paul Greco
Music Producer: Matt Nelson
Account Team: Claire Capeci, Ariel Stern, Erik Wagner, Amy Achenbaum, Angela Gonzalez
Client Team: Charles R. King, Camilla Medeiros, Kathleen Shanahan, Mike Sherman, Christine
Engelhardt, Stefanie Weintraub, Anne Eddinger
Director: Adam Shankman
Production Company: Independent Media
Editing House: PS260 (Editor – JJ Lask)
Colorist: Tim Masick @ Company 3
Music House: Wojahn Music and Sound Design
Audio Engineer – Tom Jucarone @ Sound Lounge
Media Agency: MEC