Brand MarketingThe Panasonic ChallengeBy Adweek Staff|November 16, 1998ShareBy Adweek Staff|November 16, 1998SharePanasonic urges men to “get up to speed” with its new Linear Electric Shaver in a launch campaign from Warwick Baker O’Neill. Backed by a budget sources pegged at $5 million, a new 30-second TV spot breaks Wednesday, positioning the product as the fastest in its category. Agency chief creative officer Kevin O’Neill said the spot (shown here) represents “a meeting of what Panasonic does and what the customer wants. The convenience angle is really the prime engine for the use of an electric razor.” Narrated by a sultry, dark-haired female who appears throughout the spot, the ad shows stream-of-consciousness images of men shaving, standing under flowing water and in desert scenes (to illustrate the shaver’s wet and dry capabilities) as well as speeding trains and race cars. O’Neill called the ad “a marriage between the brand and the benefit.” Warwick, New York, won the account in January. –Sloane Lucas Adweek Adweek