Gillette: Handle With Care
Gillette wanted to expand its market reach by tapping into the aging population. Grey New York was tasked with finding a meaningful way to connect with caregivers, a demographic often ignored by the grooming industry. The goal was to move beyond technical product claims and demonstrate deep brand empathy by addressing the unique, unspoken challenges of assisted shaving.
Creative Idea
Invented a specialized razor for caregivers and filmed a real son using it on his father.
Gillette transformed a social listening insight about the physical difficulty of caregiving into the TREO, the first razor designed for assisted shaving, using a raw, emotional film about a son caring for his father to prove its utility.
The Razor That Bypassed the R&D Rulebook
From Social Listening to CES
The project originated not from a product brief, but through social listening by creative Bryce Mathias. He discovered caregivers were struggling to use standard razors on others, leading Grey New York to pitch a product rather than just an ad. This "creative experiment" became the fastest new product to shelf in P&G history, bypassing traditional, years-long R&D cycles. The resulting TREO razor was so innovative it was featured at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a rare feat for a manual grooming tool.
The Three Pillars of TREO
The name TREO refers to the three specific design innovations required for assisted shaving: a "paintbrush" handle for ergonomic control by a second party, a safety comb to protect thin or sensitive skin, and a built-in non-foaming gel. This design allowed Gillette to capture the "Grey Dollar," an aging demographic largely ignored by the 4,000+ razor designs produced over the last century.
Authenticity Through the Rex Family
Director Rudi Schwab insisted on casting a real family to maintain a respectful tone. The film features Kristian Rex caring for his father following a stroke. The raw emotional honesty of their relationship was so powerful that P&G leadership reported the film "reduced CEOs, CFOs, and CMOs to tears" during internal screenings. Global ECD Leo Savage noted that what began as an "impossible" experiment became the most significant creative work for the brand in years, shifting Gillette from technical "more blades" marketing toward purpose-led storytelling.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Gillette's world-class R&D and manufacturing capabilities in precision grooming tools and blade technology.
Category
Shaving brands traditionally focus on self-grooming for young, able-bodied men using technical blade counts as innovation.
Customer
Caregivers who feel the weight of responsibility and struggle with the physical awkwardness of grooming their loved ones.
Culture
An aging population and the 'Grey Dollar' market were being ignored by mainstream design and advertising.
Company
Gillette's world-class R&D and manufacturing capabilities in precision grooming tools and blade technology.
Category
Shaving brands traditionally focus on self-grooming for young, able-bodied men using technical blade counts as innovation.
Strategy:
Pivot from selling self-improvement to providing dignity through inclusive design for the overlooked caregiver demographic.
Customer
Caregivers who feel the weight of responsibility and struggle with the physical awkwardness of grooming their loved ones.
Culture
An aging population and the 'Grey Dollar' market were being ignored by mainstream design and advertising.
Strategy:
Pivot from selling self-improvement to providing dignity through inclusive design for the overlooked caregiver demographic.
Strategy Technique
Build an Utility, Not an Ad
Instead of just telling a story about caregiving, Gillette built a functional tool that solved a specific problem, turning a marketing campaign into a genuine product innovation for an overlooked market.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Invent a Complementary Product
Grey New York didn't just make an ad; they collaborated with R&D to create a physical solution for caregivers, using the product's unique design to solve a real-world friction point.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The ad's power lies in its raw, authentic storytelling and the intimate cinematography that captures the vulnerability of caregiving without feeling intrusive.
The use of tight framing and natural light creates a profound sense of intimacy and respect for the subjects.
The script masterfully bridges a deeply personal story with a logical product need through the '4000 vs 0' razor statistic.
