Dollar Shave Club becomes official razor of March Madness, scores NIL deal with Drew Timme
Dollar Shave Club is on a winning streak this March Madness season. Today, the brand announced a new partnership with the NCAA, as well as the unveiling of its new ‘chin-fluencer.’
Drew Timme is Dollar Shave Club’s new ‘chin-fluencer’
Dollar Shave Club (DSC) has dunked a new deal by becoming the official razor of the NCAA and March Madness, which kicks off this weekend. The brand has also signed a name, image and likeness (NIL) deal with college athlete Drew Timme, who the brand has dubbed “the world’s first and only ‘chin-fluencer.’”
Timme – who currently plays for Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington – sports an iconic handlebar mustache, making him the perfect poster child for a brand that sells shaving products. The brand is homing in on Timme’s bare chin (hence the ‘chin-fluencer’ sobriquet), and also hoping to boost engagement with its audience by encouraging fans to submit photo entries (‘chin-tries’) of their own bare chins. Participants have been encouraged to get a little weird with it, which will probably produce some innovative and artistic handlebar mustaches.
“Whether I’m driving in the lane or choosing my next facial hair style, I’m all about being myself – have you seen my super-smooth chin?” Timme said in a statement. “That’s why my smooth chin and I are working with Dollar Shave Club to help my fans (and maybe even my rivals’ fans) look good, so they can feel good about being themselves. Because feeling good is good, and we all like to feel good.”
Photo submissions can be made via Instagram or Twitter, beginning today through Monday March 14 at 11.59pm PT, by tagging @dollarshaveclub and including the hashtag #chintry. Winners will receive tickets to attend the Men’s Final Four games. To ensure the mustache-less, beard-less and shaving-averse will be able to participate, the brand has also offered some additional ways to potentially win tickets, such as purchasing a ‘nothing but chin bundle’ (a pack containing various DSC products).
“March Madness is a tournament unlike any other – the school spirit, the fan traditions, the student-athletes, the passion. It all adds up to one of the most memorable sports moments of the year,” says Kerry Sullivan, chief marketer at DSC. “So, where better for the club to show up and help fans make the most of what makes them unique?”
The new partnerships with the NCAA and Timme are being positioned by DSC as an extension of its ongoing ‘Noticeably Smooth’ campaign, which includes a new ad – titled ‘Mafia’ – that will air nationally during March Madness.