Retro style: Ad pays lip service to facial hair

‘OMG!’ the advert proclaims. ‘Urgent bulletin just in: For real stop gentlemanly invasion imminent stop.’ Admitting that this is ‘deffo an advert’, the ad promotes Movember’s men’s health message before pushing its own products: ‘Gillette Proglide Styler makes you a better sportsman and an all-round good bloke. End of.’

The wraparound advert covered morning commuters’ copies of Metro, the free tabloid newspaper. It is part of Gillette’s overall campaign with Movember, the men’s health charity that encourages men to grow a moustache during the month ‘formerly known as November’ to raise funds and awareness.

It has been a few decades since young men could wear a moustache without a trace of irony. The campaign’s retro feel makes it a great example of a Revivalist campaign.