Instead of using a big agency, MANSCAPED found two film students on social media and gave them a simple brief with creative freedom. This low-cost, scrappy approach resulted in the brand's most viral piece of content ever, proving that top talent can be found in unconventional places.
To get truly organic content from improvisational creators like Marc Rebillet, Slim Jim's contract maximized creative freedom. The primary legal restriction was avoiding felony charges, an unconventional approach that empowered the creator and led to authentic, unscripted results that resonated with audiences.
For its viral "face pics" campaign, MANSCAPED deliberately limited the decision-making team to about five people, giving creators the most discretion. This "less cooks in the kitchen" approach prevented creative dilution from too many stakeholders and enabled rapid, authentic execution.
MANSCAPED values shares above other engagement metrics like likes or comments. Shares indicate that the content is so resonant it's being used as a communication tool between users, embedding the brand directly into organic conversations and the "meme ecosystem."
Faced with network television's restriction on saying "balls," MANSCAPED turned the constraint into a creative opportunity. Their organic social campaign humorously documented the challenge of making a Super Bowl commercial without mentioning their core subject, engaging their audience in the meta-narrative.
Instead of viewing a small budget as a limitation, MANSCAPED's organic social team sees it as a strength. This scarcity forces them to be scrappy, find unconventional solutions like working with film students, and avoid the over-produced feel of big-budget influencer marketing.
Acknowledging they can't be experts in all online subcultures, MANSCAPED partners with a diverse set of meme creators. Some specialize in dating culture while others know the "deep, dark" corners of the internet, ensuring the brand's content is authentic and timely across various audiences.
During the Super Bowl pitching process, MANSCAPED made a conscious decision to avoid an AI-generated commercial. This was a strategic move to stand out in a potentially AI-saturated ad landscape and to reinforce their brand's commitment to supporting young, human creators.
MANSCAPED recognizes that the future of search is conversational AI. Their organic social strategy focuses on generating widespread, authentic online conversations (e.g., on Reddit). This ensures that when AI tools are asked about their brand or category, they pull from a rich repository of positive, user-generated sentiment.