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Schick unwraps Comic-Con excitement for cartoon-driven social campaign

Schick promoted the latest incarnation of its Hydro razor by encouraging millennial males to interact with its Robot Razor character on social media and post their funniest irritations on Twitter for a chance to win a trip to San Diego Comic-Con and other prizes. 

Schick tapped into the excitement surrounding the cultural phenomenon of Comic-Con by introducing a campaign featuring Robot Razor, a superhero-themed take on its flagship product, and inviting consumers to interact with him via Schick?s social channels. Yesterday, consumers who uploaded their most humorous irritations onto Twitter using the dedicated campaign hashtags received the chance to win the grand prize trip, as well as the opportunity to receive a personalized Tweet and real-time sketch from a professional comic artist.

?We hope that social users [were] excited about receiving a personal response and sketch from @SchickHydro,? said Anastasia Tobias, senior brand manager at Edgewell Personal Care. ?Engaging with our target guy in a personal, impactful way is the cornerstone of the work we do.

?Engaging professional artists such as Ryan Odagawa is just one of the ways we?re tapping into the fanboy culture, and perhaps most importantly, we?re replying back to select respondents with a personal comic sketch inspired by their feedback. From the responses we?ve seen so far, consumers are enthusiastic about the #HydroRescue contest!?

Robot Razor to the rescue
Schick will officially introduce Robot Razor to the public at Entertainment Weekly?s Con-X festival at Comic-Con, which is taking place from July 21 to 24 in San Diego. To ramp up fan excitement before then, the consumer packaged goods brand kicked off the #HydroRescue social media campaign yesterday.

?This was important for us as a huge part of our target audience is on Twitter ? and we?re committed to engaging authentically with our audience where they already are ? whether that be online or in San Diego,? Ms. Tobias said.

On July 7, the marketer?s target audience was asked to Tweet out some of their most humorous life irritations ? such as individuals who constantly stare at their phones and co-workers who wear flip-flops to the office ? for the opportunity to win a trip for two to San Diego Comic-Con, meet Star Trek actor Zachary Quinto and relax in Schick?s Hydro Super Shave Shop and Hydration Station at Entertainment Weekly?s Con-X festival.

All submissions required the inclusion of hashtags #HydroRescue and #Contest in order to be eligible. Mr. Quinto also posted about the sweepstakes on his Twitter account and encouraged fans to answer the question, ?What irritates you the most??

Select individuals who Tweeted during the allotted time yesterday were also rewarded with a real-time sketch, created by professional comic artists Livio Ramondelli and Ryan Odagawa, featuring Robot Razor fixing their aforementioned annoyance.

For example, one Twitter user revealed that his biggest irritation is coming up with a clever comeback after a conversation is over. The Schick Hydro Twitter account personally responded to him with a sketch depicting Robot Razor typing on a smartphone while the device?s owner looks over his shoulder, laughing.

Another individual Tweeted about his frustration for people who do not use turn signals while driving. Schick Hydro followed up the post with a sketch showing Robot Razor perched on top of a car, directing traffic.

In addition to the grand prize Comic-Con trip, the CPG marketer will award two runner-ups with the option of having their sketches transformed into dynamic illustrations and posters that will be displayed at the Hydro Super Shave Shop.

The #HydroRescue contest swirled up strong participation from male consumers, thanks to its strong interactive components. Entrants were aware of the fact that they could receive a personalized sketch delineating their most humorous irritation, thereby raising the stakes for one-to-one engagement and offering users a stronger incentive to join the contest.

Leveraging event-centric excitement
Schick?s decision to coincide the Robot Razor campaign with a major event attended by many male individuals underscores the brand?s ability to anticipate its target customers? needs. 

Comic-Con attendees will be able to stop by the Schick Hydro station at Con-X to enjoy a complimentary custom shave from a professional barber, a perk that could be useful for anyone wanting to upgrade their cosplays with a hero or villain facial hairstyle.

Attendees will also be able to meet Robot Razor and take a clean-shaven selfie with the new mascot before uploading the image onto social media via the #HydroRescue hashtag.

Schick is no stranger to leveraging mobile strategy in a way that appeals to its core audience.

Schick recently build on last year?s brand sponsorship of Sports Illustrated?s popular swimsuit issue by introducing a mobile-first campaign that targeted both of the marketers' respective audiences (see story).

Last spring, the brand rolled out a mobile-optimized video that asked male consumers to interact with an eccentric character and vote for their top three indisposable comforts to promote its Xtreme3 razors, showcasing how consumer packaged goods marketers can offer interactive elements in their mobile video campaigns (see story).

?We know our guy is always on his phone, so we thought the best way to reach him was where he already goes for news and updates from brands he?s a fan of,? Ms. Tobias said.