Inspired by a review in The Guardian that called Dutch painter Frans Hals’ portraits “lifeless with flamboyant facial hair,” Philips OneBlade saw an opportunity to team up with Rijksmuseum and popular Dutch influencer Bram Krikke. The campaign offered a glimpse into a world where OneBlade imagined 17th-century gentlemen might have groomed their facial hair like their modern counterparts. Two viral videos, an exclusive event, and an audio tour podcast created a big buzz, merging art and grooming and achieving wide media coverage, making both the brand and art relevant to a modern audience.
CHALLENGE
The challenge was to blend 17th-century art with Philips OneBlade’s modern grooming products through creative execution.
APPROACH
By the inspired review from a journalist that saw the Frans Halls exhibition in London an idea sparked for an collaboration with Philips OneBlade and Rijksmuseum. What if those 17th-century gentlemen had access to a modern grooming tool like Philips OneBlade? This playful idea became the foundation of our project, aiming to create awareness and brand love by connecting the historical art of Frans Hals with contemporary grooming. To make the 17th-century exhibition appealing and newsworthy, we needed the perfect influencer. The influencer needed to appeal to the target audience without overshadowing the brand, none other than Bram Krikke was the ideal match. Bram, known for his signature mustache and his love of history and art, was the perfect partner to shape the campaign and breathe new life into the iconic mustaches of the old masters.
EXECUTION
A sharp remark in The Guardian about Frans Hals’ “boring, lifeless portraits with flamboyant facial hair” sparked the idea for a creative collaboration between Philips OneBlade, the Rijksmuseum, and Dutch influencer Bram Krikke. The playful concept: what if 17th-century gentlemen had access to a modern grooming tool like Philips OneBlade?
Bram Krikke, known for his signature mustache and love of history, was the perfect face of the campaign. His involvement ensured relevance with the target audience while keeping the brand front and center. The campaign launched with a viral sketch on Bram’s channels, quickly generating online buzz.
The highlight was an exclusive after-hours event at the Rijksmuseum. Journalists and influencers previewed a OneBlade-branded audio tour, narrated by Bram, who humorously described 19 Hals portraits and their extravagant facial hair. Visitors also received AI-generated portraits of themselves in Hals’ style, complete with flamboyant mustaches—driving shareable social content.
Bram followed up with another viral sketch critiquing his own Hals-inspired portrait, which was later featured on RTL Boulevard. By merging 17th-century art with modern grooming, the campaign created awareness, brand love, and a unique cultural moment, proving both art and OneBlade can spark fresh relevance.
RESULTS
Through Bram Krikke’s influence and humor, the campaign achieved widespread media coverage, reaching over 3.9 million readers and 6.6 million via social media, showcasing the timeless appeal of the creative campaign inspired by Philips OneBlade and Frans Hals.