[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI&feature=player_embedded]
Taking a page from the ever popular Old Spice campaign, a new company called Dollar Shave Club has captured the Internet’s attention with a low-cost, viral ad laced with deadpan humor.
The company’s CEO, Michael Dubin, explains Science, Inc.’s latest startup, which promises to deliver $1 razors (plus $2 for shipping and handling) to consumers every month. The video, called “Our Blades Are F***ing Great,” features a debonair Dubin strutting through an office and warehouse, making a case for the novelty concept. “Do you like spending $20 a month on razors? $19 go to Roger Federer,” Dubin asks, knocking Gillette’s famous-athlete promos.
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The company, which has raised more than $1 million from venture capitalists, used YouTube and social media for its marketing campaign, hoping to draw attention from the estimated $2.6 billion grooming market, according to former MySpace Cofounder Mike Jones, a partner behind Dollar Shave Club. Dubin told TechCrunch he hopes to develop the brand, already adding a 4X blade for $6 a month and the Executive blade for $9 a month. “I want people to see us as one of the first online-only power brands in the category,” he told the website.
Though it may be a niche idea, the business plan incorporates two major issues that could make it a success: convenience and cost. Add a funny video, and you’ve got business gold.