Digital & Social · Global · 2012
Dollar Shave Club: Our Blades Are F***ing Great
A founder-made video, reportedly shot for about $4,500, launched a razor subscription that sold to Unilever for $1 billion four years later.
By Maer Media editorial teamPublished 4 October 20263 min readFounder-madeContent & Social · Campaigns · UI/UX Design
- Brand
- Dollar Shave Club
- Market
- Global
- Year
- 2012
- Category
- Digital & Social
- Agency or team
- Founder-made
- Channels
- YouTube, website
The context
Razors were expensive, locked behind store counters and sold with expensive celebrity advertising.
Men resented paying high prices for razors locked behind counters.
The move
Founder Michael Dubin starred in a deadpan, funny video that explained the offer (good blades delivered monthly, for a few dollars) and mocked the category’s excess.
How it was executed
- Founder starred in a deadpan, funny launch video.
- Explained the subscription offer clearly.
- Linked straight to a simple sign-up page.
A founder-made video, reportedly shot for about $4,500, launched a razor subscription that sold to Unilever for $1 billion four years later.
What happened Reported facts
The company reported 12,000 orders in the first 48 hours, and the site crashed. Unilever acquired Dollar Shave Club in 2016 for a reported $1 billion.
Why it worked Maer’s analysis
The offer was instantly clear and memorable, and the humour made people share it.
What to take from it Maer’s analysis
- 01Explain the offer more clearly than anyone in the category.
- 02A founder’s voice can be the brand.
- 03Price and convenience are positioning, not just features.
Indian founders can explain their offer in their own voice on YouTube and Instagram, if operations can cope with a spike.
Where Maer applies this
The same thinking runs through these brand templates:
Sources: Dollar Shave Club; Unilever (2016). Figures are as publicly reported; Maer Media was not involved in this work and is not affiliated with Dollar Shave Club.
The Maer Media editorial team studies how brands are built, from positioning and packaging to launches and growth. Figures in each case study come from the public sources listed above; the analysis and the India notes are our own. More about Maer
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