Shaving is a necessary evil for men around the world because it irritates and dries the skin. So, in 2010, Schick reinvented the way a razor makes contact with the skin. The typical and useless lubrication strips were replaced with a reservoir of water-activated gel. The Schick Hydro glides on this gel, hydrating the skin as you shave. Our goal was to let twenty-somethings know that there's a better razor out there that hydrates instead of over-drying their skin.

The posters show hard objects transforming into water when they hit the face. This is designed to be a striking visual representation of how the Schick Hydro transforms the rough aspects of shaving into a hydrating experience. Technically, everything was shot in camera. We created the water effect by splashing mannequins made of clear plastic. Then artfully compositing the portraits and water in post. The dark background was chosen to accentuate the splashes, and the layout kept simple to maximize impact. The name of the razor, “Hydro,” did the rest.

The launch of the Schick Hydro was a tremendous success. Like the shave the Hydro delivers, increased market share exceeded expectations. And our growth came at the expense of our biggest competitor, Gillette, as planned. The posters themselves hit way above their weight by earning media on blogs and by being featured in reviews and editorials.