According to Forbes, Dollar Shave Club was acquired by Unilever in 2016 for $1 billion just five years after its founding, but experienced a steady decline that led Unilever to sell a 65% stake to Nexus Capital Management in 2023 while retaining 35%. Under new CEO Larry Bodner, who joined in November 2023, the company is returning to its irreverent roots after what he calls being “neutered” by corporate ownership. DSC recently recruited 23 customers for a creative workshop in Chattanooga to co-create new advertising focusing on razor sharpness rather than traditional metrics. The brand peaked at around 4 million subscribers before declining to approximately 3 million, with direct-to-consumer remaining its primary channel despite recent expansion into Walmart and Target. New products include a $10.97 collectible College Razor collection and the company promises more of the edgy humor that made its original $4,500 viral ad generate 12,000 orders in 48 hours.
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When Big Companies Kill Cool Brands
Here’s the thing about billion-dollar acquisitions: they often suck the soul right out of disruptive brands. Unilever basically tried to make Dollar Shave Club act like a proper corporate citizen, and in the process destroyed exactly what made it special. The company’s founder Michael Dubin was literally a comedian – that original viral ad where he declared “Our Blades Are F***ing Great!” was pure gold because it felt authentic, not focus-grouped to death.
And let’s be real – when your $200 million acquisition is just a rounding error in your $27 billion personal care division, how much attention are you really going to give it? Unilever was slow to expand DSC into physical retail, giving competitor Harry’s a four-year head start in Target stores. That’s basically handing your lunch to your chief rival.
The Battle for Your Bathroom Cabinet
Remember when razors were simple? Gillette kept adding more blades and features until we reached peak absurdity. Dollar Shave Club’s original appeal was cutting through that nonsense with a straightforward value proposition. Now they’re trying to recapture that magic by focusing on what customers actually care about – sharpness, not some nebulous concept of “closeness.”
But the landscape has changed dramatically since 2011. Every brand now has a subscription model. Amazon sells everything. And let’s not forget about Gillette and Schick – they didn’t just roll over when the DTC revolution hit. They’ve adapted, launched their own subscription services, and still dominate shelf space.
Can Customers Really Save a Brand?
The “Order of the Blade” workshop is either brilliant or desperate – I can’t decide which. Getting 23 regular guys together to shape your marketing campaign sounds like something straight out of Mad Men, but updated for the TikTok era. One customer apparently said “It’s a great razor but I’m not going to pay more for it,” and the DSC team responded “We’re making plenty of money, so we don’t need to charge you more.”
That kind of transparency is refreshing in an industry known for ridiculous markups. But is it enough? The starter kit at $4.99 is aggressively priced, and refills at $10 for four blades undercuts the competition significantly. Still, winning back customers who left during the “corporate years” might be tougher than attracting new ones.
The Future is “Managed Absurdity”
Bodner calls DSC’s approach “managed absurdity” – which is actually a pretty good description of their entire business model. I mean, they’re selling products called “Charlies Butt Wipes” and “Ball Spray” alongside razors. That’s either genius brand extension or a desperate grab for attention.
The real test will be whether they can balance that irreverent humor with the business discipline needed to actually turn a profit. Nexus Capital didn’t buy this company for fun – they want returns. With Bodner’s background at Bulletproof and prior stints at P&G and Disney, he’s got the right mix of creative and corporate experience.
So can Dollar Shave Club actually make a comeback? The early signs are promising, but the razor wars have only gotten more competitive. One thing’s for sure – it’s going to be entertaining to watch.
