An All-New Wilkinson Sword: We are the Blade Masters, since 1772

Wilkinson Sword recently embarked on a new journey – reimagining their brand with a new look and consumer approach. The new approach is an upbeat, clever and humorous take, pulling from their British Heritage full of wit and irreverence. Wilkinson Sword has positioned themselves as, 'The Blade Masters since 1772' which reinforces their status as a top competitor among established brands, drawing inspiration from their 250+ year history and origins in sword-making. We spoke with Sophie Rock, Head of Brand Strategy, to learn more about the new and reimagined Wilkinson Sword.

Q: Can you shed some light on reimagining the brand with a new look and consumer approach? Can you walk us through its evolution?

We started this journey 18 months ago and the project has grown and grown exponentially since then. Initially, we intended to simply shift our positioning and communication, but that quickly changed to include updating the brand logo, packaging design, range architecture and even developing a new line of shaving preps along the way.

Q: Tell us about the motivation behind the choice to change Wilkinson’s brand image? Why now? 

The category has been in a long-term decline and Wilkinson Sword has felt the impact across multiple markets for several years. It was clear that a significant change was needed to help set the brand up for future success. As a challenger brand, it was time to start acting differently and challenging the status quo. We needed to be bold and brave to make a real impact and achieve growth.

Q: What were the first steps in bringing this to life?

We needed to understand the consumer to find the right role for Wilkinson Sword in the shave category - a role that could be distinct from our competitors but also in line with who we are as a brand. We collaborated with expert strategists who spent the first six weeks diving into every piece of data and insight we had on the brand and the category. From all of this analysis and the rich insights we had gathered, a clear story emerged. This led us to develop the big idea of "Blade Masters". This resonated well with everyone involved because it was rooted in consumer insights, and when we tested it with them, it was fantastic to see the positive engagement. It helped to show us that we were on to something special.

Q: Why did the team choose to go with a more humorous approach with their ads?

Very early on we realised we had an opportunity to use tone of voice to our advantage. We are a brand with a strong British heritage which allows us to communicate in a different way than our competitors - with wit, humor and irreverence. Our aim is to stand out and challenge the norm and what better way to do that, than by leveraging a unique and fun voice?

Q: Were there any big obstacles along the way? Conversely, were there any milestone accomplishments or “big wins”?

Given how fast we've had to move we certainly encountered many obstacles. Changing over 150 SKUs (stock keeping units) alone, brought about numerous challenges managing artworks and production scheduling. Even with such a large amount of work to get through, the team was (and always is) dedicated to owning it together and they’ve done an incredible job!

Q: How do you think this change will affect the brand?

We know that men’s shave is a challenging category right now, so we’ll need to continue to innovate and evolve to serve the consumer best. Our goal is to be recognized and noticed - we want to interrupt his autopilot purchasing and break through the inertia that currently exists in the category. Whether it's the elegantly crafted packaging design that now creates a strong brand block on the shelf, or the advertising making him crack a smile, if we are able to make him stop in his tracks and re-consider Wilkinson Sword next time, he's about to purchase some blades, then we've done an excellent job! 

Q: Who do you hope this reaches and what are you hoping this re-brand accomplishes?

I hope everyone sees us in a new light, but particularly younger men (under 35 years old) who wouldn't usually consider Wilkinson Sword in their repertoire. Our goal is to be the top challenger brand in male shave category. This is just the first step to building a new era for Wilkinson Sword, driving modernity and consideration within the next generation of men. 

Q: Can you tell us more about the future plans for the 'Blade Master'?

We love the Blade Master and think he’s the perfect representation of our brand.  Of course, he is the ultimate blade connoisseur. We have big plans for him in the coming years, and I can definitely see him sharing his own shaving wisdom with more men. We’re all excited to bring some fun and playfulness back into this category!  

On the flip side, receiving unanimous feedback on a winning packaging design route was fantastic and a big win, for sure. We pushed our design agency to bring something new to the table. The winning design was actually a wild card, but I think it demonstrates that sometimes you do need to push things further than you’d think if you really want to make a step change. Additionally, getting the claim "No One Knows Blades Better" approved by Clearcast in UK and ARRP in France (pre-clearance authorities) was a huge relief. It was a big team effort that involved the Legal team, Insights, R&D and Marketing to get that claim approved. With this, we gained a compelling top-parity claim to compete with "the best a man can get".