NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski and model Camille Kostek, stars in campaign for Manscaped

Newsroom Ads, Creativity, People

To promote their new “Lawn Mower 3.0” trimmer, Manscaped partnered with GYK Antler and its internal production house Big Brick to concept and produce a series of digital long-form films and :15s that would match the brand’s “cheeky” tone. The campaign stars NFL’s Rob Gronkowski and model Camille Kostek

Timed to align with the NFL season, the first in the series – “Gronk Can’t Find His Balls” – went live on September 13, and will be followed by additional films throughout the season. The films highlight the functionality of the Lawn Mower 3.0 product while making some “below-the-belt” humor sure to crack some smiles and laughs. 

When Manscaped™, the first and leading brand dedicated to men’s grooming and hygiene below-the-waist, was looking for a pair of brand ambassadors to bring a campaign for their new Lawn Mower 3.0 trimmer to life, they needed a couple who could pull off the brand’s signature cheeky comedy while still resonating with their core client demographic. Enter Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model Camille Kostek and her little-known boyfriend, NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski.

Across a series of unique digital spots, Kostek and Gronkowski amp up the funny, showcasing the utility of Manscaped’s newest trimmer while also having fun with some of the product’s more nuanced selling points such as its “SkinSafe Technology” and waterproof functionality. Manscaped is leaning into the power couple’s relatability and humor in order to connect with a consumer base that crosses both Kostek and Gronkowski’s sizeable fan bases. 

To bring the campaign to life, LA-based Manscaped partnered with integrated marketing company GYK Antler and their internal production house Big Brick in order to concept, shoot and post-produce the spots, which went live on Sept 13. With the entire engagement spanning a total of one week from kickoff to capture, the teams worked in unison to create and coordinate a shoot that would elevate the creative while simultaneously meeting all of the challenges of production in the world of COVID.  

With Gronkowski heading off to NFL training camp the morning after the shoot, strict social distancing measures were in place on set to ensure not only his and Kostek’s safety, but also that of the entire crew. A remote video village was set up with live-streaming functionality to the Manscaped offices in LA, allowing seamless communication throughout the long day of creating the type of tongue-in-cheek humor the brand has become known for. 

After a 10-hour shoot day featuring countless outfit changes from the SI Swimsuit model and considerably less outfit changes from the often-underwear-only clad NFL superstar, the team had captured three unique digital spots that will be sure to have fans of Manscaped, Kostek and Gronk hitting the “like” buttons on their devices all season long, in addition to selling a hell of a lot of new trimmers. 

Matt Doyle, Executive Producer/Director, GYK Antler

When Manscaped came to us with a project, I (and our entire team) was over-the-moon excited. Their unique brand of over-the-top and sometimes juvenile comedy is the type of content that creative teams DREAM about. Well at least I do. Once we found out the spots were featuring Gronk and Camille our excitement grew even more. Having the chance to help concept and create this campaign has been a real bright spot in what has certainly been a challenging six months, but our team has completely nailed the production process with regards to new social-distancing protocols, in addition to remote client collaboration on set. Having a team that’s able to deal with those technical challenges frees myself, Camille and Rob to goof off and have fun on set all day, which is ultimately what leads to the legitimately funny, genuine moments we captured for the campaign. “It takes a village” may sound cliché but it’s never been truer than right now. We’re exceedingly proud of the Manscaped campaign and can’t wait to laugh alongside everyone else that checks it out this fall.

Carter Baldwin, VP of Content, Manscaped

From concept development through post, Big Brick was the best partner we could’ve found for this project — helping us turn a good idea into a killer final product. As director, Matt Doyle brought so much extra to the project, finding all kinds of clever ways to uncork Gronk and Camille, making them comfortable and allowing their unfiltered, dynamic relationship to shine through. Juggling celebrity talent is never easy, but their producer, Tyler York, executed flawlessly. Even with the added pressures of being COVID-19 compliant and a quick turnaround, Big Brick didn’t miss a beat and absolutely nailed it on the first cut, which allowed us to finish early. Touchdown with a two-point conversion!

CREDITS 

Client: Manscaped

Carter Baldwin, VP of Content 

Agency: GYK Antler 

Matt Doyle, EP/Director  

Mariah Swanson, Production Coordinator 

Production Partners: 

Tyler York, Senior Producer, Big Brick Productions

Josh Drake, Sr. Editor, Big Brick Productions

Aaron Frutman, DP, DGA Productions 

Jeff Olive, AC 

Will McAuliffe, 2nd AC, DGA Productions

Dan Holden, Audio, DGA Productions

Theron Powell, Remote Tech 

Tara Pavoni, Art Director 

Rob Bessette, Colorist 

Maili Lafayette, Rob’s Stylist

Rachael Lynsey Shtifter, Camille’s Hair 

Margo, Camille’s Hari Assist 

Christian Adams, Camille’s Stylist

Erica Wright, Camille’s Makeup