Innovative platform: Join the NIVEA MEN Barbershop Talk

Do you want to know if Roberto Carlos prefers shaving gel or shaving foam? And if Karim Benzema prefers the Champions League or the World Cup? Fans in Middle East & North Africa (MENA) can easily find out by joining the NIVEA MEN Barbershop Talk every Thursday, a unique digital platform created by the NIVEA MEN team.

This campaign is based on a truly local and deep-rooted insight: “My barber is like my brother, we talk about football, music, the news. It’s my place for hanging out with my bros.” Combining this with the importance of digitalization, the NIVEA MEN team in Middle East & North Africa (MENA) has developed a unique and groundbreaking digital platform. “With the NIVEA MEN Barbershop we engage with a younger audience in a highly relevant and familiar setting. It enables us to drive continuous engagement and dialogues, and gives our brand a natural role in the topics they love like football,” says Hanne Rolling Bentsen, Beiersdorf MENA. “So, whether a man needs a close shave, stylish hair cut or is interested in sports, music, or cinema, the Barbershop platform provides him with an enjoyable social experience.” Hosted by Rami, an Egyptian barber, local artists and international celebrities are invited to talk and share their knowledge with the fans.

The platform was launched in December 2017, and consists of a web series: Shaves & Talks. It kicked off with an intro to the Barbershop and a famous football influencer for the MENA region. Rami, the barber, plays a major role in the success of the platform and is key to creating a great environment in the barbershop. The first guest was Amr Nsoohy, an Egyptian football influencer, residing in the UAE, with a huge following of more than 1 million subscribers on YouTube. Nsoohy reviews matches with in-depth analysis and breaking news in the world of football, and is very popular across the Middle East, from Morocco all the way to Saudi Arabia. “That was only the start of a great engaging platform: After the first episode, two Real Madrid legends were featured, Roberto Carlos and Michel Salgado,” says Hassan Daoud, Senior Brand Manager on NIVEA MEN. “Both played for the club during the Galacticos period, in their impressive star-studded defense, and took part in some of the club’s best moments in recent history, like Champions League victories in the late 90s and early 00s. As ex-teammates and best pals, their chemistry shows on screen and led to some great content.”

The kick-off in 2017 was wrapped up with an active football player, who currently plays for our very own Real Madrid. Karim Benzema, star forward from France, visited the Barbershop becoming the biggest celebrity the platform had seen to date. At the same time, the NIVEA MEN team also created content to drive sales of the exclusive Real Madrid Limited Editions launched in the Middle East. “We are extremely happy with the performance of the platform so far, which currently has over 6.5M views,” continues Hassan Daoud. “It gives us a great opportunity to engage with men in a modern and masculine way and to push NIVEA MEN to the next level.”

And this is not the end yet – many more international stars are set to be guests in the Barbershop:

And now it’s your turn: NIVEA MEN Middle East invites all employees to take a seat and join them for Barbershop Talk – just leave a comment stating who should be next in the barber’s chair.

Hassan, currently Senior Brand Manager for NIVEA MEN for Middle East & North Africa, has been working for Beiersdorf for over two years with previous experience in digital advertising and sports management holding an MBA from the Real Madrid University in Spain. By managing NIVEA MEN in the region, he is able to combine both his love for marketing along with his passion for football with the brand’s sponsorship with Real Madrid.