Wilkinson Sword and Atlassian Williams F1 Team have today (1 June) launched ‘Partners in Smooth’ – a campaign designed to bring the brands’ partnership to life.
The activity is led by a short film in which Wilkinson Sword’s Blade Master character serves as Williams’ first ‘director of smooth’. He works with the F1 team’s principal, James Vowles, to support drivers Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon and Luke Browning as they sharpen up ahead of a Grand Prix.
The six-minute film set “the foundation for ‘Partners in Smooth’: the idea that Wilkinson Sword helps Williams – and its fans – get race ready”, said the shaving brand. “From driver preparation to fan rituals, the platform connects blade mastery with the confidence, precision and control needed to perform when it matters.”
The push will run for the remainder of the 2026 Formula 1 season – which is scheduled to end in Abu Dhabi in early December. Activity will expand into creator content, fan participation, retail activations and live moments around key races. It will include a “fan experience” at the Atlassian Williams F1 Team Fan Zone in central London around the time of July’s British Grand Prix, alongside an invitation to social media uses to share how they #GetRaceReady.
The campaign was “designed to connect the energy of race weekends with the grooming aisle, creating a clear route from fan engagement to product discovery, trial and retail activation throughout the season”, said Wilkinson Sword.
Its multi-year partnership with Williams was announced in February, marking the biggest sponsorship to date by an Edgewell Personal Care brand. It began with Wilkinson Sword branding featured prominently across the nose box, halo and engine cover of the FW48 cars driven by Sainz and Albon.
‘Partners in Smooth’ was “about taking our partnership with Atlassian Williams F1 Team beyond branding and turning it into something fans can genuinely engage with and enjoy,” said Jonathan Norman, senior marketing director at Edgewell.
“At the centre of it is a shared belief in precision, preparation and performance. Whether that is the craftsmanship behind our products or the mindset of a Formula 1 team, we wanted to bring those qualities to life in a way that feels fresh, confident and fan facing.”
Williams was “built on precision, preparation and the pursuit of marginal gains”, said James Bower, the team’s commercial director. “But when it came to getting a closer shave, we knew we could still learn from the Blade Master.
“We are excited to launch ‘Partners in Smooth’ and create new opportunities for our fans to connect with our drivers, our team, and the partnership in the midst of the race season.”
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