Carnival of Modern Man: Shaving

Ryan Vanderbilt points us toward an interesting article from Business 2.0 about the Art of Shaving’s new campaign combining nostalgia with know how in an effort to attract ‘mainstream’ men to the chic grooming products.

Part barbershop and part pampering spa, the Art of Shaving is pouncing on the fast-growing men’s grooming trend by appealing to consumer nostalgia. Its 10 retail outlets - five of which have onsite barbers - are dedicated to making men better shavers by getting them to trade in their Barbasol.

They plan to open 40 more retail stores in the US over the next two years. They think they can capture the ‘mainstream’ audience. If by ‘mainstream’ they are talking about men in Manhattan, then maybe. But I don’t think they will capture a mainstream audience in the broadest terms. I think they are doing a lot of smart things, especially with there focus on education, and their retro vibe which makes all this ‘man pampering’ feel a bit more manly and acceptable, but when a 1.7 Fl Oz bottle of Ingrown Night Cream costs $40, I think it will be a tough sell to a massive audience.

Insight Out: The Art of Shaving
Technorati Tag: modern man