Think about the last time a brand made you laugh out loud. Really laugh. For many people, Dollar Shave Club has been doing just that for years, turning the mundane task of grooming into a comedic experience. Now the company is turning to generative artificial intelligence to inject even more creativity into its advertising, proving that machines can help humans be more, well, human.
Laura Higgins, the Chief Brand and Innovation Officer at Dollar Shave Club, recently shared how the grooming brand is evolving its use of AI in marketing. The goal is not to replace the creative spark but to reassert their distinct brand voice in a crowded digital landscape. This is a story about using technology to amplify personality, not to automate it away.
Reclaiming Brand Voice Through AI Tools
Dollar Shave Club built its reputation on a cheeky, direct, and often hilarious tone. As marketing channels grew more complex and data-driven, there was a risk of that voice getting lost in the noise of programmatic ads and generic retargeting campaigns. generative AI offers a way back to that core identity.
Higgins explains that the company is using AI to generate countless variations of ad copy and visual concepts. This allows the marketing team to test different humorous angles and storytelling hooks at a speed that was previously impossible. Instead of brainstorming for days, they can now generate dozens of options in minutes, then refine the best ones. It is about scaling the ideation process without diluting the creative essence.
From Data Silos to Creative Ecosystems
Many companies struggle with AI integration because they treat it as a separate tool confined to a single department. Dollar Shave Club is taking a different approach. They are weaving generative AI directly into their creative workflow, connecting data insights with content production. This creates a feedback loop where performance data tells the AI what resonates, and the AI then produces more of that winning creative.
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Speed vs. Substance in AI Advertising
There is a common fear that AI will make advertising feel cold and algorithmic. Dollar Shave Club is proving the opposite. By using AI to handle the heavy lifting of variation and iteration, human creatives have more time to focus on the nuances of humor, timing, and emotional connection. The machine generates the raw material; the human polishes the diamond.
Consider an AI that writes twenty versions of a punchline for a social media post. Most will be flat. But one might be brilliant. That one gem is then refined by a human copywriter who understands the brand’s specific comedic timing. This partnership between human intuition and machine scale is where the true value lies.
Practical Lessons for Marketers
So what can other brands learn from this approach? First, start with your brand voice. Define it clearly before letting any AI touch your content. If the machine does not know what “funny” or “authentic” means to your company, it will produce generic nonsense. Second, embrace rapid iteration. Use AI to fail fast and learn faster.
Is every AI-generated ad going to be a hit? Absolutely not. Some will be bizarre or even terrible. But that is part of the process. The speed of testing allows for more creative risks without the usual budget constraints. It democratizes creativity within the organization, letting junior team members contribute ideas that can be expanded by the AI.
The Future of Creative Partnerships
We are moving toward a world where creative briefs are written for both humans and machines. The best marketers will be those who can translate human emotion into effective prompts for generative systems. Dollar Shave Club is positioning itself at the forefront of this shift, using AI not as a crutch but as a creative amplifier.
The grooming giant reminds us that technology should serve the story, not the other way around. As AI tools become more sophisticated, the brands that succeed will be those that use them to deepen customer relationships rather than just optimize click-through rates. It is a lesson in keeping the human element front and center, even when the tools are digital.
Looking ahead, expect to see more brands borrowing this playbook. The ability to maintain a consistent, beloved voice while scaling creative output will become a competitive advantage. Ultimately, Dollar Shave Club is showing that the most human thing a brand can do is use every tool available to make people smile.
