What was Kai Corporation's vision behind "#FreedomToShave"? ~ Commemorative Dialogue for the 74th Dentsu Inc. Advertising Awards SDGs Special Prize

Kai Corporation's corporate ad "#FreedomToShave" gained attention for its bold visuals of women showing unshaven underarm hair and the catchphrase "You decide what's unnecessary."

The ad won the "SDGs Special Award " at the 74th Dentsu Inc. Advertising Awards, which honors outstanding advertising communication. What is the true meaning behind the seemingly uncharacteristic statement for a razor company: "Shaving is a personal freedom"?

Kai Corporation's Public Relations Department Manager, Junichi Saito, and SDGs Special Award Selection Committee Chairman, Koichi Kaneda, engaged in a dialogue. They exchanged views on the intent behind the advertisement that made waves in society, and further, on the potential of advertising to contribute to achieving the SDGs.

Providing an opportunity to rethink the fixed notion that "shaving is the norm"

Saito: Kai Corporation is a cutlery manufacturer with over 100 years of history. We currently hold the top share in the domestic disposable razor market. Having dealt with body hair for many years, we've long sensed a skewed trend suggesting "women should shave their body hair to be smooth" and "men should leave theirs untouched."

Therefore, in 2020, we conducted a "Survey on Attitudes Toward Shaving and Hair Removal" targeting men and women aged 15 to 39. The survey revealed that over 90% of both men and women want the freedom to decide for themselves whether to shave their body hair, just as they choose their fashion or hairstyle. In response to these findings, we decided to create an ad campaign under the theme "#FreedomToShave" to challenge the societal norm that treats shaving and hair removal as the default, and to spark renewed consideration about body hair.

Three major factors further spurred the creation of this ad campaign. First, the idea that "it's cool for women to keep their underarm hair" is gradually gaining traction, particularly overseas. Lady Gaga sparked discussion by posting images of herself with deliberately unshaven underarms on social media, sending a message about the freedom not to shave.

Second, the increasing number of web ads that fuel body image insecurities, becoming ever more extreme. A petition calling for improvements to these "complex ads" has gathered significant signatures, highlighting how many people suffer from such advertising.

And third, this is also a personal thought, but I've always felt the term "unwanted hair" carries a negative connotation. It seems sad that important body hair is treated as "unnecessary" or "dirty." I've long wondered if shaving or grooming body hair could be made into a "fun experience," much like getting a haircut.

Kaneda: I believe this ad has the potential for significant social impact, particularly regarding SDG Goal 5: Gender Equality. However, on the other hand, "#FreedomToShave" also conveys the message that "you don't have to shave." Logically, this seems like an ad that could potentially harm the profits of a company selling razors. What benefits did the company anticipate gaining by launching this campaign?

Saito: One is the company's long-term perspective on profit. Recently, customers won't always buy products based solely on low price or good performance. Even companies like ours, dealing in relatively low-priced daily necessities, need customers to resonate with our company's values and philosophy to become fans and pick up our products. Therefore, we believed that simply communicating a product's appeal isn't enough; truly connecting with customers and gaining their empathy should ultimately lead to our own profit.

The other factor was enhancing brand recognition among younger demographics. While Kai's brand recognition increases with age—reaching about 95% among those over 60—its recognition among those in their 20s has historically been below 30%, posing a challenge. When approaching younger audiences, simply promoting products doesn't get their attention. In our advertising, we consciously aimed to connect with their interests.

Junichi Saito, Kaishin Public Relations & Advertising Department

We made proposals mindful of our founding spirit and company strengths

Kaneda: When launching ads for products or services, incorporating social issues like gender equality can make it difficult to get proposals approved internally. I imagine there were various discussions within the company regarding this ad campaign. Could you tell us how you proposed and persuaded the company internally, Mr. Saito?

Saito: When proposing internally, I emphasized that the plan connected to the "spirit of the wild blacksmith" that KAI values deeply. Seki City in Gifu Prefecture, where KAI was founded, was originally home to many sword smiths. After the Meiji government's ban on swords forced these craftsmen to stop making blades, they became "Nokaji" – blacksmiths who crafted hoes and kitchen knives for everyday people. They engaged in direct dialogue with each customer, creating tools tailored to their specific needs. This philosophy remains deeply valued at Kai Corporation.

For this "#FreedomToShave" initiative, we began our proposal by sharing the voices of people troubled by imposed values around shaving and hair removal, stating, "Isn't there something we can do?" We also emphasized that KAI's strength lies not only in razors but in its wide range of grooming tools like scissors. We made sure to highlight that this was a project only we could execute, leveraging strengths unique to our company.

Kaneda: When pushing proposals internally, I also start by consciously considering our corporate philosophy and strengths, focusing on the legitimacy of "this is precisely why our company can do this." Beginning the discussion with "What kind of company are we, fundamentally?" is one effective approach.

In this case, I understand that Kai Corporation proposed a shared-value initiative by clearly demonstrating strengths distinct from competitors. This approach aimed to boost sales of non-razor products and ultimately enhance the brand.

Saito: I believe it's crucial to have a clear company positioning and philosophy to fall back on when asked "Why?" Proposals that are merely gimmicky won't convince either internal stakeholders or customers; they won't resonate.

Kaneda: So you incorporated data like "people think this way about body hair" and the low awareness among younger demographics. Including hard evidence like this in the proposal is also a crucial point for gaining internal buy-in.

Koichi Kaneda, Chair of the Selection Committee for the 74th Dentsu Inc. Advertising Awards SDGs Special Prize

Creating copy and visuals with a conscious effort to "harm no one"

Kaneda: This time, our selection committee evaluated Kai Corporation's advertisement based on three major points. First, it tackles a sensitive issue that people often hesitate to address, yet it's a highly impactful advertisement. Second, it was produced with a long-term perspective on profitability. And third, it incorporates risk management.

When attempting something as edgy as this campaign, negative reactions are inevitably anticipated. Therefore, the decision to use the virtual human MEME instead of real talent or models felt innovative from a risk management perspective.

Saito: We live in an era where celebrities' private lives and personal beliefs spread instantly via social media. For this ad, as embodied by the copy "#FreedomToShave," we didn't want to take a clear stance for or against shaving. Instead, we aimed to convey a neutral perspective: it's okay to have the freedom to shave, and it's also okay to have the freedom not to shave. We felt virtual humans were the most suitable medium for this kind of expression. We also saw advantages in how smoothly production progressed, even during the pandemic when real-world filming was difficult.

Regarding copy like "You decide what's unnecessary," our production team generated numerous ideas with the goal of "not hurting anyone" and "not negating anyone." We were reminded of the difficulty of conveying meaning through words, as even changing a single character can alter the entire message. Ultimately, it took about two months to finalize the copy.

Kaneda: Is there any particular reaction to this ad that stands out in your memory?

Saito: The most memorable was an email from a female customer that reached our customer service department a few weeks after the ad launched. She shared that she had been troubled by the imposed value that women's skin should be smooth and flawless. She wrote, "Seeing this ad saved me. It brought tears to my eyes," expressing her gratitude. Hearing words like that truly makes me feel creating this ad was worthwhile. What was unexpected was how few negative opinions we received. Of course, there were some, but far more people agreed with us than we anticipated, which made us incredibly happy.

Furthermore, a brand awareness survey conducted after the ad launch revealed that awareness among those in their 20s increased by about 10%. According to HR, most students who applied to Kai Corporation for new graduate positions mentioned they saw the ad and resonated with it. Having people connect with our company's values and think, "I want to work here," is a significant benefit for us. I feel we've achieved a tangible result in terms of reaching the younger demographic.

Facing the concerns of customers right in front of us with unwavering dedication

Saito: In November 2021, as the second project under "#ShaveFreedom," we created a booklet called "FIRST SHAVE BOOK." It's a tool designed to provide accurate knowledge about body hair and shaving techniques for elementary and junior high school students experiencing their first shave. This too was born from customer feedback.

In November, we distributed this booklet for free in Shibuya, complete with a paper razor. We've now received requests from multiple schools asking to distribute the booklet to their students. Discussions are underway about whether we can visit schools to conduct outreach classes or offer special lectures on body hair. Our activities are gradually expanding.

https://www.kai-group.com/products/kamisori/product/firstshavebook.html

We're also considering communication initiatives targeting men. In our "#ShaveFreedom" ad campaign, we included the line "We think smooth-skinned boys are wonderful too," which resonated with many male customers. Recently, men's cosmetics have become popular, and we sense men's awareness of their appearance is growing. As awareness increases, so do concerns, so we want to keep exploring what we can do to help.

What we handle are "daily necessities" used in everyday life. Therefore, rather than focusing on a distant future, we believe KAI's style is to stubbornly confront the worries of today's society and the challenges right before us, seeking ways to solve them. We want to continue communicating closely with each and every customer.

Kaneda: Listening carefully to the voices of customers right in front of us and responding to them. That's truly the "spirit of the village blacksmith." At first glance, Kai's approach might seem to run counter to the SDGs, which start from the future and work backward. However, within the SDGs, creating businesses that originate from solving social issues is extremely important. Sensitively detecting social issues from customer voices and then exploring the "future" from there. I believe this is also one approach that leads to achieving the SDGs.

While many Japanese companies take time to initiate action, Kai Corporation acts swiftly on current challenges. At the same time, it maintains a "down-to-earth" approach, conducting thorough, time-consuming research to gather hard evidence. The strength lies in the seamless integration of both. I look forward to seeing the advertisements and projects they will roll out going forward.

After the conversation...

We have now entered the seventh year since the SDGs were adopted in 2015. In Japan, major corporations have already moved beyond the phase of merely understanding the SDGs and are now entering the implementation phase. However, public understanding of the SDGs still has room to grow. Therefore, companies can use advertising expressions to create opportunities for behavioral change among consumers, thereby contributing to achieving the SDGs. To widely disseminate outstanding advertising communication aimed at this purpose, the SDGs Special Award was established within the Dentsu Inc. Advertising Awards in 2020.

This year, the selection committee comprised 11 members with diverse expertise, including corporate executives, creative directors, art directors, accountants, NGO/NPO representatives, and social entrepreneurs. Entries were evaluated based on "Ideas," "Commitment to the SDGs," "Integrity," and perspectives such as "New Challenges in Advertising Communication."

Last year saw many ads serving as "explanations of sustainability" conveying actions needed to achieve the SDGs. This year, however, we noticed an increase in corporate ads attempting to communicate sustainability centered around their own products or services. Among these, Kai Corporation's ad clearly expressed their stance of simultaneously pursuing corporate growth and solving social issues, grounded in their corporate philosophy.

Regarding "New Challenges in Advertising Communication," overseas we're starting to see corporate ads that take on highly sensitive social issues with a stance like "Regardless of others, our company will act," anticipating potential backlash. It remains to be seen if such approaches will gain traction in Japan, but advertising is evolving moment by moment toward realizing a sustainable society. I look forward to encountering many more outstanding ads in the next SDGs Special Award and continuing my own learning about the role of advertising in the SDGs.

Chairperson, Selection Committee, 74th Dentsu Inc. Advertising Awards SDGs Special Award
Koichi Kaneda
 

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