Razor Company to Red Sox: Braid Your Beards For Charity

Photo via Associated Press

When it comes to trying to figure out what to do with their scraggly, post-season, championship beards, the Red Sox have some options.

For David Ortiz and Shane Victorino, a plan is already in place. On Monday, they will join Boston Police Officer Steve Horgan, and one lucky fan, at Gillette’s World headquarters in Fort Point, and participate in a public shave-a-thon.

“Since making their scraggly summer debut, the beards have been a symbol of team solidarity and Boston pride. Now that the 2013 season has come to a triumphant close, Gillette is helping Ortiz and Victorino feel their best with well-deserved shaves,” according to a statement from the company. “The hometown heroes will start their offseason as champions well groomed and shaved.”

For the rest of the team, they can either keep the beards, or go for the mustached look.

The Dollar Shave Club, which ships disposable razors to customers on a monthly basis for $1, put a deal on the table Friday, asking members of the Red Sox to skip the shave for now, and instead, braid their beards and attach a small sign to them. That sign should have the name of a charity of their choice written on it, according to the company.

Once the sign is woven into a player’s braided-beard, all they have to do is snap a photo, and Tweet it to the Dollar Shave Club, and the company will donate $1,000 to the charity mentioned in the beard display.

“Dollar Shave Club has no official interest in shaving the facial talismans that brought a world series win to the beautiful, bearded borough of Boston,” said Michael Dubin, Chairman and CEO of Dollar Shave Club. “[We] will even send a braiding technician to their home or location of choice to help.”

The Dollar Shave Club has consistently marketed themselves to people with beards, trying to brush-off reports that razor sales nationwide are being washed down the sink. Over the summer, news came out that razor sales in general took a major hit with fewer people turning to the blades to get a clean shave. Market professionals said there were several factors contributing to the decline, including the acceptance of stubble.

“Despite these stories of slowing razor sales, DSC is growing steadily and has 330,000 members,” according to a statement from a company representative. The company recently dipped into other product pitches, to stave off the anti-shave movement, and is now selling Shave Butter, and other bathroom products. In August, Dubin said the company will likely invest in expanding their customer base by introducing 15 “consumables that you use in the bathroom.”

Beyond the charity gimmick, the Dollar Shave Club also joined a new form of beard support known as “beardvertising,” where people can “turn their beard into a business,” and get paid to walk around with a small billboard clipped to their face. 

When it does come time to say goodbye to the post-season beards, another razor company is hoping the team at least keeps the mustaches.

800Razors.com is challenging the Sox to help stand up to cancer, and show their support by turning playoff beards into Movember mustaches for the entire month of November. Much like Dollar Shave Club, the company is even offering to home-deliver razors to players’ homes, if 10 of them accept the challenge. If they keep their mustaches through the month the company will also make a donation to the Movember charity in their names.