New razors have been fodder for parody for more than a quarter century. In 1975, the inaugural episode of "Saturday Night Live" included a mock commercial for a three-blade razor with the slogan, "Because you'll believe anything."
The introduction of Gillette's Fusion razor, kept secret until its debut in 2005, was eerily predicted the year before by the satirical Onion newspaper, which ran a fake memo from a shaving executive bragging about besting a competitor's four-blade razor by making one with five...
The companies know they're pushing the bounds of credulity. "When we talk to guys, we hear them say, 'It's all a bunch of hype,'" says Gillette spokesman Damon Jones. "Our strategy was to tackle the skeptics head on," giving away hundreds of thousands of free ProGlide razors around the launch last month.
"As we enter into any innovation, obviously there's a level of skepticism," says Dan Kinton, senior brand manager for Schick's Hydro...
Brian Crowell says he has driven up to 20 miles to find a store that stocks two-bladed Gillette Good News disposable razors, introduced in 1976.
"If these disappear one day, I will be devastated," says Mr. Crowell, a 44-year-old professional golfer in Bedford Hills, N.Y.
He, too, keeps a stash at home. But he keeps it secret, lest his wife or daughters snag one. "I'm uncomfortable revealing my hiding spot," he says...
Mr. Meyers is considering investing in a supply of Gillette's two-blade Sensor Excel, introduced in the U.S. in 1994, which he used years ago. "Frankly, that gives a beautiful shave," he says.
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