Ever felt ripped off buying razors? That feeling of walking into a store, finding the little plastic blades locked up like they're crown jewels, and then paying a fortune for them? It’s a frustration everyone knew. And one guy decided to make a joke about it. That joke turned into a billion-dollar company.
This is the story of Dollar Shave Club.
Back in 2011, the shaving world was ruled by giants like Gillette. Their ads were all about space-age technology, slow-motion water splashes, and serious-looking men. It was... boring. And expensive.
Then came Michael Dubin. He had a simple idea: good razors, delivered to your door for a few bucks a month. A great idea, but how do you get anyone to listen when your competitors spend millions on ads?
You don't. You get them to laugh instead.
Dubin spent just $4,500 to make a YouTube video. It wasn't slick. It was just him, walking through his tiny warehouse, deadpan-serious, telling it like it is. He made fun of the "vibrating handles" and "lubricating strips" and ended with the now-legendary line: "Our blades are f***ing great."
Marketing Stories
How a $4,500 Video Beat a Billion-Dollar Giant
Published on September 25, 2025
Boom.
The video went nuclear. In the first 48 hours, 12,000 people signed up. The website crashed. They ran out of razors in the first week. People weren't just buying a product; they were joining a movement against overpriced, over-engineered nonsense.
The Big Takeaway?
You don't always need a massive budget. You just need to understand what people are actually thinking and talk to them like a normal human. Dollar Shave Club didn't sell razors with tech specs; they sold common sense with a side of humor.
Five years later, Unilever bought Dollar Shave Club for $1 BILLION.
All from a simple idea and a ridiculously honest video. Now that's marketing.