Gillette Invites UK & US Caregivers to Trial First Ever Assisted Shaving Razor

LONDON, October 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Gillette recently designed and engineered TREO™ - the world's first ever assisted shaving razor - to offer a comfortable and dignified shaving experience for the millions of men and women of all ages who, for whatever reason, are unable to shave themselves. Now, the brand is announcing the next step in TREO™'s learning journey: starting today and while supplies last, UK and U.S. consumers are invited to request a product sample to trial via a new website: http://www.gillettetreo.co.uk.

In addition, during what will be a three-month pilot phase, a number of professional care homes and institutions in both markets are also partnering with the brand to trial Gillette TREO™ samples amongst their professional caregivers and care recipients. From these thousands of at-home and institutional shaving experiences, Gillette's scientists and researchers plan to collect first-hand feedback to refine the TREO™ product experience - at launch and beyond.

For the millions needing assistance with day-to-day living, personal care is an important part of maintaining normalcy, confidence, and dignity. However, as part of this, the shaving process can often be a daunting, messy, and difficult task.

Indeed, it's a little-reported problem that impacts a significant number of the UK population: nearly 1.4 million people aged over 65 in England and Wales provide unpaid care for a partner, family, or others^[1]. And, notably, over 75% of UK carers shave loved ones and patients every 3-5 days with over 60% admitting to using disposables^[2].

In fact, Google estimates that tens of thousands of conversations happen about the demands of everyday caregiving^[3]. Inspired by real world conversations just like these, Gillette began its journey of developing and researching a product to address this very emotional consumer need.  

"Our UK research found that when asked how care and support services helped them, the most common answer amongst people over 65 was personal care (68%)^[4], which helps them to maintain a sense of normalcy and to support lost functions like the ability to shave oneself," said Melissa Monich, Vice President of Research & Development, Global Grooming at P&G. "We were struck by how important these day-to-day activities are in supporting the dignity, pride and morale of those who need assistance. This made us even more compelled to use our expertise to develop a more comfortable and safer experience - and that is what continues to inspire us on this TREO™ journey."

WHAT MAKES GILLETTE TREO™ DIFFERENT 

During the course of this journey, Gillette discovered a surprising fact - based on U.S. patent filings, over 4,000 razors have been created for the purpose of shaving yourself, but zero have been specifically engineered for shaving another individual. The team set out to change this. Tapping into rich consumer insights and working closely with caregivers and industry professionals, early prototypes were evolved to get to the Gillette TREO™, a razor uniquely designed for assisted shaving.

The Gillette TREO™ is a dramatic departure from a standard razor, driven by the very different needs of not one, but two, consumers - the caregiver and the individual getting the shave.

"When researching the project, the first step was to visit a care facility to see how the assisted shaving experience is different when compared to how we shave ourselves," said Matthew Hodgson, TREO™'s lead designer at Gillette. "Very quickly, we noticed big differences and big difficulties. For example, we realized the ergonomics of the handle and direction of the blade completely change when turned to shave another person, and thus a complete redesign would need to be engineered."

The team then designed a new solution with a range of features designed to address the biggest differences:

• THE BLADE - Designed to make the shave safe and help prevent clogging.
• THE HANDLE - Unlike traditional razors, the Gillette TREO™'s special handle operates like a paintbrush, with a unique divot for control and comfort for care-givers and those being cared for.
• THE SHAVE GEL - Built into the handle, the special gel hydrates the hair and lubricates the skin for a comfortable, mess-free shave.    

The Gillette TREO assisted shaving razor has been engineered to provide control, safety and comfort.

Since its founder King C. Gillette changed the way men shave forever, innovation has been an important part of Gillette's heritage. Through the years, Gillette has worked to improve the shaving experience and stay focused on the needs of all consumers. It is this rich history of innovation that has made Gillette a brand that has stood the test of time for well over a century - one that is trusted by over 750 million consumers around the world.  

To trial a sample of Gillette TREO™ on a loved one or within a care setting, please request a sample at http://www.gillettetreo.co.uk .

To learn more about the story of Gillette TREO™, view the 'Handle with Care' video at http://www.YouTube.com/Gillette - winner of seven Cannes Lions awards.

Notes to Editors 

^[1] Age UK "Later Life in the United Kingdom" Fact Sheet August 2017: Community Care Statistics: Social Services Activity, England 2012-2013, table P2f 1c, NHS Information Centre 2013

^[2]P&G data on file

^{[3] https://www.google.com/search?q=demands+of+everyday+caregiving}

^[4] Age UK "Later Life in the United Kingdom" Fact Sheet August 2017: Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, England - Provisional 2010-11. NHS Information Centre, 2011

About Procter & Gamble 

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

For further information please contact:

[UK] Juliet Lewis -Juliet.Lewis@ketchum.com 
[UK] Emma Sharpe -Emma.Sharpe@ketchum.com 
[US] Haiwen Lu -Haiwen.Lu@ketchum.com