guest post by mikl-em

The folks at Wilkinson Sword have a provocative ad campaign for their Quattro for Women Bikini shaver. Full of hedge and topiary imagery and metaphor.

BoingBoing posted the below ad earlier this month, but since their link has now gone fallow I’ll put it here as well:

It is notable that historically Wilkinson actually did make both gardening tools and razors. Nowadays those two lines are split into two different companies. One wonders if the personal-grooming division has some shear-envy which is being expressed in their marketing campaigns.

Here’s the catchy French version, Ma Garden Party:

And lest us guys feel left out, a tool by Phillips The Bodygroom is guaranteed to give a clean close shave to kiwi fruit or whatever else kiwi-shaped you applied it to, one assumes.

Denuded kiwis

Here’s an ad / ode, from 2.5 years ago, with a sensitive bath-robed fellow singing the virtues of this grooming gadget.

I… am not comfortable with that. But their Second Puberty animated brochure, which features amongst other wonders a unicorn with a rainbow for a horn, is well worth a look.

Props to my buddy @johnrackham for the pointers to the 3 Wilkinson ads. And to Boing Boing commenter grimc for the pointer to the Bodygroom.


filed under Advertising, Animation, Sex

 

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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

chumpman April 20, 2009 at 11:55 pm

kiwi ad – good one! witty and bring the message across! :)

Robynne April 21, 2009 at 12:38 pm

“Mow the Lawn” – Racism *and* sexism, now available in one convenient package!

Heather April 21, 2009 at 1:41 pm

Sarah Haskins of Target Women fame takes the Wilkinsons ads to task:

http://current.com/items/89975180_sarah-haskins-in-target-women-your-garden.htm

Now THAT is funny. The ads? Not so much.

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