How MANSCAPED Tapped Two Film Students For Its Viral Ad Spot 🎬

"Post Pic Clarity" is one of MANSCAPED's most viral social posts ever, racking up more than 870,000 views on TikTok and over 1 million views on Instagram in just 48 hours.

The cinematic 60-second spot, part of MANSCAPED's "Send Face Pics Instead" campaign, encourages men to send face photos rather than the typically unsolicited "below the waist" images, while featuring the company's newest shaving tools. What makes this unique is that it actually came from creators—USC filmmakers Zach Shenouda and Ryan Robinson, who are part of the MANSCAPED Makers Network.

Jori Evans, Director of Social at MANSCAPED, shared how the ad spot came to be and the background on the company's Makers Network creator program. She also discussed how social media has evolved since she got started and what she envisions for the future.

How Social Media Community Building Has Changed

Evans, who jokes she's been in social media since "Facebook needed an .edu address," has seen social media evolve dramatically through her work running social for small businesses to big brands like Microsoft, Slim Jim, Groupon Taco Bell, Rockstar, Clorox, and more, across agency, brand and freelance roles, before landing at MANSCAPED.

"It's entirely shifted. It's all in the group chats now. It's in the DMs, it's in the shares. You're not building the community the same way in the comments that you used to. And then it's also the communities that live outside the brand pages. It's really hard to break through as a brand page anymore. And so that's why we reach for these influencers, we reach for these content creators, we reach for these different POVs that break through. So breaking through is significantly different now," Evans explains.

"It's much louder, there's much more going on and the algorithms have gotten smarter and trickier. And if you don't have money and you're a brand, they don't like to give you that much attention."

Working with creators isn't new for MANSCAPED—they're one of the most active brands in the space. 

"We're on every podcast. We've got tons of influencers, but our influencers also really drive to purchase. It's, 'here's a coupon code.' It's very direct to sales types of marketing, but it hasn't been brand storytelling."

MANSCAPED has become known as the "ball trimming brand," but the company has expanded into face care and skin care products.

"We have really great quality products for the face and skin care and we have all of these other products that we're not known for as much as maybe a Gillette or a Phillips," Evans explains. That challenge, particularly when it comes to breaking out and finding new audiences, is what drew Evans to MANSCAPED.

An Internal 'Shark Tank' Led to the Makers Network

A potential solution came through an internal "Shark Tank" exercise back in February where channel leads pitched how they would use an additional budget to the C-suite.

"I decided to go in and ask for a significant budget," Evans says—at least significant in the context of organic social. Her pitch: the Makers Network, a growing roster of up-and-coming creators who bring unique POVs and energy to help the brand expand its storytelling.

CMO Marcelo Kertész was immediately on board. "He was extraordinarily passionate about the idea of, 'hey, let's step into these creators to test drive different points of views of the company and the brand. And it's really low risk, lower budget, and let's see what breaks through on social.'"

How "Post Pic Clarity" Came to Be

The creators behind the viral ad spot came through an unexpected route. Evans had spotted Zach and Ryan's Doritos Super Bowl LVIII ad submission and was convinced they'd win. She pitched a reactive video to launch alongside their Super Bowl spot. However, the two didn't end up getting selected as winners. But Evans followed up with them to see if they were interested in working on something else together, which would become "Post Pic Clarity."

After the initial contact, the briefing was intentionally hands-off—really just Evans sharing an idea of what they were looking for.

"We didn't do a traditional briefing process, but presented where the brand is and where we want the brand to go. Then we ask, what do you think? Does it scratch an itch?"

Zach and Ryan came back with a script and what Evans describes as a "really great vision." Over a two-day shoot, they pulled in friends to help and turned around the finished product in a week and a half.

From Social Experiment to Network Television

When the finished spot came in, it quickly gained traction internally, capturing the attention of the paid team. Evans then showed it to Kertész in real-time, who immediately started asking:

"Where else can we put this beyond organic social?”

"And so it went from pitching this in February of what could be or what could happen with this Makers Network to going above and beyond right away, hitting it out of the park pretty quickly," Evans explains.

After working with the creators and others who contributed to the spot to secure the necessary usage rights and provide additional compensation, the video is now being run on on YouTube and as a paid media ad. It also debuted recently as a commercial on WWE Raw on Netflix, with plans to expand to other TV networks, Tinder, and additional ad experiences.

The Future of Makers Network

Currently at about 10 creators in the program, the Makers Network operates with an open-door policy. "Once we meet with you and talk to you about some ideas, maybe Valentine's Day isn't the thing that you want to work on, but you've got something else... the door is always open."

But Evans sees value beyond just the content output. "I think that working with these creators reinvigorates the creatives that we have on our team just at MANSCAPED alone. And it kind of just fuels the thinking in a better way."

While "Post Pic Clarity" and the company's relationship with Zach and Ryan are a great case study, Evans hopes to take the next iteration of Makers Network even further, such as exploring partnerships with film schools across the country, where students could earn course credit alongside compensation.

"What are the entry level jobs for social anymore?" Evans asks. It's a really great question—as AI looks to impact early career opportunities, especially in the creative fields. Makers Network could help young creatives get their foot in the door and give them opportunities in the industry, which Evans sees as very important.

Zach and Ryan, who have already shot another spot for MANSCAPED, exemplify this vision.

"Now as they start to pitch, they've got a portfolio of MANSCAPED at 21 years old to go take to other brands, which is pretty cool."

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