Ad of the Day: Philips Norelco

Almost-obscenities are having a good run in ads this month. First, we had Kmart's "Ship My Pants" spot, which has made millions of people laugh like 9-year-olds. Now, it's Philips Norelco's turn—with a campaign themed "I'd FAQ me."

A pair of spots show hirsute fellows using Philips Norelco's electric razors to do a little manscaping—trimming back the weeds both up there and down there. With each clip and shave, the guys remark on how attractive they're becoming by suggesting what they'd do to themselves if they were an admirer.

"I'd wink at me," says one guy. "I'd pop a bottle with me. I would share a shawarma with me. … I'd snuggle up with me. I'd invite me up to watch a movie. I'd have a wine with me." At the end, he concludes: "I'd FAQ me," with the middle word, a good sound-alike for the F-bomb, silenced—and his mouth pixellated.

The spots lead to an impressive website, idFAQme.com, which invites you to scroll down the length of a dude's body, with pointed product benefits listed all the way down.

Ogilvy & Mather creative director Zach Korman says the campaign isn't so much about being provocative as being honest about how young guys in the target market think about themselves and their looks. "We all have little rituals and stories we play out in our heads," he says. "With more confidence, more possibilities open up in life. Those 'possibilities' just generally end up in the same place more often than not."

The "FAQ" idea didn't come out of nowhere. "We had an assignment to both showcase a new product launch as well as convince guys that the electric category would be worth considering," says Korman. "So what's the most recognizable fact-delivery convention online? Obviously, that'd be an FAQ—but through the lens of our campaign, of course. Which meant less body copy and more body shots."

The website is intended to wow a segment that's used to plenty of bells and whistles online. "I don't think anyone would expect a 360-3D-nose-to-tail-shaving-hair-test-drive," says Korman. He adds that he doesn't expect the campaign to stir up any negative controversy. "In television, film and advertising, we're seeing some of the boundaries of tone and language extend a bit further every day," he says. "I don't think we're saying anything that isn't already out there in the ether."

CREDITS

Client: Philips Norelco

Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, New York

Creative:

Chief Creative Officer: Calle Sjoenell

Executive Creative Director: Jason Marks

Creative Directors: Zach Korman, Tom Elia, Craig Mannion

Art Directors: Lukas Lund, Andreas Hoff

Copywriter: Mikio Bradley

Art Director: Brad Warsh

Senior Information Architect: Annie Wong

Account:

Managing Director: Matt Dowshen

Account Director: Jennifer Natuzzi

Account Supervisor: Kara Shenton

Account Executive: Amanda Warren

Planning:

Planning Director: Paula Bloodworth

Production:

Chief Production Officer: Matt Bonin

Executive Producer: Melanie Baublis

Senior Producer: Susan Rafter

Production Coordinator: Dana Malinick

Music Producer: Karl Westman

Integrated Content Production Business Manager: David Halberstadt

Managing Director, Digital Delivery: Kathleen Gareiss

Executive Director, Digital Production: Angela Fung

Associate Director, Technology Management: Jordan Saletan

Associate Director, Systems Architecture: Todd Harpersberger

Director, Quality AssuranceRaul Morales

Analytics:

Associate Director of Marketing Analytics: Omari Jinaki

Integrated Communications Planner: Kacy Erdelyi

Marketing Strategy: Michael Gallo

Production Company:

Epoch Films

Director: Michael Downing

Executive Producer: Melissa Culligan

Line Producer: Eric Sedorovitz

Post Production:

Cosmo Street Editorial

Editor: Tom Scherma

Executive Producer: Maura Woodward

Producer: Heather Richardson

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