Wilkinson Sword joined the Atlassian Williams F1 Team as a commercial partner for the 2026 season – and it brought its Blademaster character along for the ride.
The brand, which has been making blades since 1772 and sits within the Edgewell Personal Care portfolio, is in the middle of a deliberate transformation, reigniting its market position after a successful relaunch built around the ‘Blademaster’ two years ago.
The partnership with Williams marks the brand’s first involvement in Formula 1. It was not an obvious category entry.
However, its campaign that launched on Monday, Partners in Smooth, makes clear from the outset that Wilkinson Sword did not want to enter the sport quietly.
The hero film introduces the Blademaster – the enigmatic character at the centre of the brand’s commercial offering – as the Williams team’s first ever Director of Smooth.
Team Principal James Vowles and drivers Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon and Luke Browning are all involved. It is a production that leans into humour and personality rather than badge visibility.
“That explosion in interest within Formula One – it’s become really cultural in its influence. It’s brought in huge numbers, especially within the consumer goods space, which does make it more competitive,” Jonathan Norman, Marketing Director at Edgewell Personal Care, told Sector.
“Trackside branding, on-car branding will remain important. But when you reflect on the objectives that you have, being part of the team, really integrating yourselves within the sport, becomes very important.”
The platform will run across the remainder of the 2026 season through creator content, fan participation events, retail activations and live moments around key races, including a fan zone presence at the Williams activation in central London during the Pirelli British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
The Blademaster’s role at the centre of the campaign was not incidental. Edgewell built the character specifically to anchor the Wilkinson Sword relaunch two years ago and chose to bring it directly into the Williams world rather than lead with driver integration alone.
“As a challenger brand, you want to offer something different. Our Blademaster character was created two years ago. He embodies the brand and the positioning,” explained Norman.
“Characters are fantastic assets to drive brand growth. Having that consistency through all of our campaigns will only be a strength in the longer term. He’s very entertaining and very humorous – it should give everyone a really good laugh and something they’re not going to be expecting.”
The access to Williams personnel that makes the campaign possible is something Norman regards as central to the entire proposition. Modern F1’s commercial power, he argues, lies as much in its personalities as its broadcast reach.
“The team is one aspect of it. But the personalities that exist within that team – the drivers, the technical staff, James Vowles – that’s part of the story,” he said.
“People want to know more than just the race moment or the car. They want to know about the people behind them.”
The choice of Williams as the partner reflects a deliberate alignment of brand values.
If we’re driving greater association of Wilkinson Sword and Williams, the benefit is that we become more modern, more relevant, and ultimately more considered.
Jonathan Norman
Wilkinson Sword is a brand undergoing a transformation, and found in Williams a team at a similar stage of its own trajectory.
“With our challenger mindset as a brand, we’re a bit of an icon in terms of being a British heritage brand that stands for mastery,” Norman said.
“When you look at the Williams team, they’re an icon within Formula One with numerous world titles behind them.
“They are challengers in their own right as well, and they are on this upward trajectory. The synergies between the two were quite significant.”
With a B2C brand entering F1 and launching such as eye-catching activation at the beginning of its first partnership in the sport, the overall goal is a direct one, even if the route there is not.
“We want to sell razors, but simply by being part of Formula One, we’re not expecting someone to suddenly run down to the shop and buy a razor,” added Norman.
“If we’re driving greater association of Wilkinson Sword and Williams, the benefit is that we become more modern, more relevant, and ultimately more considered.
“Our challenge then is how do you evolve that consideration and capture that to drive to purchase.”
The British Grand Prix is the standout domestic moment in the calendar for two British brands – but Norman frames the partnership in global rather than national terms.
“This is a global partnership. There are multiple flagship moments throughout the year depending on the race and where it is,” he said.
“What Williams have done particularly well is extend that experience outside of the track into city centres. Being part of that moment is very important for us.
“We’ve invested this for the long term. We’re not here for the season and then disappearing. Sometimes the benefits of that investment you only see over the longer term as well.”
