Braun
YEAR:
1990
INDUSTRY:
Electronics
THEMES:
precision, design, performance, innovation, craftsmanship, minimalism, functionality
OCR TEXT
BRAUN
rechargeable
Show your face the respect it deserves.
At Braun, we regard shaving as something you do for your face, rather than to it. It is this attitude that inspired the design of the Braun three position switch. Position One activates the platinum-coated, micro-thin foil and cutterblock system,
a combination that assures perfect smoothness, even in close contact with sensitive skin. Anything less compro- mises comfort.
Position Two couples this cutting action with the trim- mer feature for grooming longer, awkward hairs on the
neck. And Position Three extends the trimmer head for precise visual control when trimming sideburns or mustache. Anything less compromises closeness. Braun has become the number one selling foil shaver in the world because
every design element has only one purpose: to give you the excellent shave your face deserves. Anything less is a com- promise, in every respect.
BRAUN Designed to perform better.
Commentary:
This Braun ad is a masterclass in functionalist design communication — calm, confident, and deeply rational. Unlike the loud, emotion-driven ads of its era, Braun’s approach was restrained and intelligent. The tagline, “Show your face the respect it deserves,” elevates shaving from a routine to a ritual of self-care — a quietly human promise delivered through precision engineering.
The visual composition mirrors the brand’s design philosophy: minimal, geometric, and deliberate. The product sits alongside its reflection — a subtle metaphor for clarity, purity, and respect for form. The typography and layout embody the International Typographic Style (Swiss Style) — clean sans-serifs, structured grids, and plenty of negative space. There’s no hyperbole, no exclamation points, no model — just product and principle.
The nature of the ad is utilitarian yet aspirational. It doesn’t sell a lifestyle; it sells logic and trust. It’s telling the reader: we’ve thought through every switch, every surface, every interaction — so you don’t have to. This reflects Braun’s broader 1980s positioning: a brand for the discerning, modern man who values performance and design integrity over flash.
In terms of cultural context, the late 1970s and early 1980s were an inflection point for product design — a shift from decorative consumerism toward rational modernism. As Japan led a wave of innovation in compact electronics, Braun stood apart by pairing German engineering with timeless, minimalist aesthetics — a philosophy that would later influence Apple’s design language under Jony Ive. Braun GmbH, founded in 1921 by Max Braun in Frankfurt, began as a small radio component manufacturer. After World War II, Braun evolved into a leading consumer electronics and appliance company, pioneering both industrial design and ergonomic engineering.
The real turning point came under Dieter Rams, who joined the company in 1955 and became its chief design officer. Rams championed the philosophy of “Less, but better” — stripping every product to its essential form and function. Under his influence, Braun’s razors, radios, and appliances became icons of modernism, blending visual simplicity with mechanical precision.
By 1980, Braun was the benchmark for industrial design — admired not just for its technology but for its moral clarity about what design should be: honest, functional, and human. The shaver in this ad exemplifies that era’s ideals — clean lines, functional logic, tactile control, and a message that aligns form and purpose.